Page 141 of Smoky Mountain Dreams

Sammie Mae jerked out of Christopher’s grasp.

“Fuck me sideways,” Joe groaned, and his eyes flicked overto where his kids were now huddling by the church steps, watching. The hearsewas pulling out of the parking lot with Gran inside. “Bob, justshut up.”

Bob wasn’t done, though. “To think that I tried to counselyou and your devil-infected son—”

“Nope!” Joe yelled, clapping his hands together loudly. “Justnope! Everyone clear out!” He waved his big arms and Sammie Mae, Bob, and Jameswith his little Kristin all backed away. Christopher half hoped that a carwould careen through the parking lot right at that moment and take all four ofthem out, but then he felt guilty because Kristin probably didn’t deserve that.

Jesse unlocked his car and took hold of Christopher’s arm,whispering, “Come on, babe. Let’s go. Let this play out. It’s not yourresponsibility.”

Christopher blinked. His mother strained against Bob’s holdon her, still wanting to go at his father. He took in Kristin’s shocked expression,Jackie’s narrowed eyes of rage and humiliation, Joe’s red cheeks and look of “done, done, so very done” and he couldn’t make himselfmeet Jesse’s eye.

“Christopher?” Jesse said quietly.

“Yeah, we’re done here.I’mdonehere. Joe, Jackie, I’ll text. The rest of you…” he motioned at them all. “Just…justgo to hell. You all belong there.” His voice shook, and he felt like his chestwas being sliced open and his heart yanked out the hole. This was it. He wastruly done with his mother. Once and for all. And it fuckinghurt.

Christopher pushed past his gaping mother and the sputteringBob as he walked around Jesse’s car to climb in the passenger side. When heheard the driver’s door shut and felt Jesse’s heat beside him, he couldn’t bearto look, so he kept his gaze on the gray asphalt, the gray mountains, and thegray sky leading up to where Gran was watching and probably cackling her headoff that the family hadn’t even been able to get through her funeral withouteveryone going ballistic.

Christmas lights shone from the store windows they passed,and the electric trees on top of the buildings looked like triangles of wire inthe murk of late afternoon. He was silent as Jesse drove toward the ComfortInn, waiting for the questions, the outrage, the laughter, or some sort ofpity. He didn’t know. He just knew that his family was a disaster and beingnear them was something he never wanted to be again. At least not like that.Not his father, or his mother, and sure as hell not Bob. Jackie and Joe, yes,but not if they were going to argue for him to make up with Sammie Mae.

He rubbed his chest where it ached so badly.

“Hey,” Jesse said, as he pulled into a parking spot near theentrance to the hotel. “Look at me.”

Christopher sighed and turned slowly in his seat.

“Tell me what you’re thinking about,” Jesse murmured. “Becauseif you’re thinking that anything said back there has any merit, or if you’rethinking that you’re somehow—”

“No, that’s not it.” Christopher half-smiled at Jesse’sconcern that he might consider himself the hellspawn of his father’s sin. “It’sjust that I never wanted you to see that. To see them. To see what I’m likewith them, through their eyes.”

“Oh.” Jesse swallowed and then nodded slowly. “I understand.”Jesse ducked his head to catch Christopher’s gaze and held it meaningfully. “Iguess there were a few things we weren’t ready to share with each other yet,but the world didn’t end.”

He shook his head. “It’s humiliating.”

“Why, babe? They’re…horrible. Well, not Jackie and yourbrother-in-law, but the others…yikes. Though that Kristin child just seemsmisled. But your mother…” Jesse was silent a minute, looking out the frontwindow. His voice was gentle when he turned back. “Like you’ve said, she’s beengone a long time when it comes to mothering you.”

Christopher snorted softly. “And my dad, well, he never eventried to be a father after he left. Bob tried harder than Dad did.”

“Bob is a monster.”

“Bob is deluded by his own warped beliefs.”

“That’s…generous of you, Chris.” Jesse smirked and shook hishead. “You’re far too generous to people.”

“Like who?”

“Well, Bob, obviously. Your mother. Gareth. And, well, you’vebeen really generous to me. When I didn’t deserve it.”

Christopher laughed softly, and it felt stifled behindsomething heavy. “What? Would you rather I was harder on you?”

“No. I just think you need to protect yourself better.”Jesse smiled. “But if you won’t, then I want to help protect you. I should havestepped in earlier and made us leave before it escalated, but it was…well,honestly, I just had no idea.”

“No one does. Or could. It’s impossible unless you’ve seenit in action before.”

“Joe had the right idea. He’s got a good head on hisshoulders.”

“Handsome head too. Jackie got a good one this time.”

Jesse chuckled. “Yeah, nice hands. Big arms. Ass to bounce aquarter off. Good thing he’s not my type, or I might have been tempted to seeif there was a bi hair on his body.”