Rich Blood (Jason Rich #1)(36)

27


Jason spent a few minutes pacing around the main level of the now-empty house. Since his arrival in Guntersville, he hadn’t had much time to think, but he did now, and he was consumed by one all-powerful thought.

I need a drink.

Jason walked down the stairs to the basement and Braxton’s man cave, where he’d spent several Christmases and Thanksgivings drinking cocktails, beer, and wine from his brother-in-law’s stocked bar. As he reached the foot of the stairs, he glanced at the bar and saw that it was just as he remembered. He walked over to the glass cabinet and contemplated the bottles of bourbon, vodka, and gin that adorned each shelf. His mouth felt dry, and his heart rate picked up speed. He couldn’t get Niecy’s words out of his mind.

He had abandoned his family. Jason glanced from the liquor bottles to the refrigerator and opened it. There were several beers inside.

“Go ahead. Grab you one. I don’t think Braxton will mind anymore.”

Jason turned at the sound of the deep voice and saw a large man standing at the foot of the stairs.

“Hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to give us some more light.” The man flicked a couple of buttons on the wall, and the room became bright. Jason noticed a massive television that hung on the far wall, where his brother-in-law had enjoyed watching Alabama football games. There was an old-fashioned movie theater popcorn maker to the side as well as the portraits that many Alabama football fans had in their lairs. The Goal Line Stand against Penn State in 1979. The Kick by Van Tiffin in ’85 to beat Auburn. Pictures of Coach Bryant and Coach Saban.

“Jackson Burns,” the man said. He wore a golf shirt, baggy shorts, and flip-flops and shuffled toward Jason with his hands stuffed deep in his pockets. “We’ve met before, but it’s been a while. Call me Burns. In this town, I’m not sure if anyone knows my first name anymore.”

“I remember,” Jason said, shaking the man’s meaty hand. Burns was about six feet tall, which was the same height as Jason, but he must’ve weighed a hundred pounds more, probably topping out close to 275 pounds. “You used to take us out on your boat in the summer when my wife and I came for the weekend.”

Burns snapped his fingers. “That’s right. Lakin, right? Sorry to hear about the divorce.”

The comment stung, and he was a bit surprised that Burns knew about the breakup of his marriage. But he knew he shouldn’t be. Burns and Braxton had been good friends for years. Next-door neighbors. The subject was bound to have come up.

“Been through that myself,” Burns said, grabbing a beer from the fridge. He popped the top and took a long swallow. “Shan left me over Christmas. Guess she’d finally had enough of being a car dealer’s wife.” He snorted. “You know how it is. Crazy hours, never home, always on the lot chasing the next sale.” He took another gulp of beer. “She and my two sons live in Huntsville now. I get to see the boys every other weekend and on Tuesdays, but Tuesdays during the school year hardly ever work out.”

“I’m sorry,” Jason said.

“You have kids?”

Jason shook his head.

“At least it was clean, then. No baggage. And I don’t mean to say my boys are baggage. The damn baggage is Shandra. She’s always going to be Jack and Charles’s mother. I won’t ever be rid of her, and I’ll probably be cutting a fat alimony check to her the rest of my life, not to mention child support for the next fifteen years. Be glad you don’t have to deal with that hassle.”

Jason didn’t know what to say, so he kept his mouth shut. Burns finished off the beer and grabbed another from the fridge. “Go on. Take one. Don’t make me drink alone.” Jason hesitated but then took a can.

Burns walked to the door leading out to the porch and opened it, stepping out into the hot sun. “Where’d the girls go? I was going to take them to lunch over at Top O’ the River.”

“I don’t think they were expecting me to show up. Niecy got pretty upset.”

Burns chuckled. “She’s a fireball, that one. Got her daddy’s brains and momma’s temper.” He popped the top on his can and took another long sip. Jason tried his best not to focus on the drink in Burns’s hand. “I suspect your niece was a little pissed that you haven’t been around in a while.”

“You suspect right.”

“You and Jana grew up in Marshall County, didn’t you?”

Jason nodded. “Little cove called Mill Creek.”

“That’s right. I remember Jana showing us the old homestead. Good fishing up that way. I’ll still go over there and try to find some bass or catfish in and around those boathouses.”

Jason remembered all the mornings he would wake up and see a small bass boat circling his family’s boathouse. “Yep,” he said, smiling.

“How long’s it been since you were out to Mill Creek?”

“Forever and a day. With Mom and Dad both gone . . .” He trailed off.

“I actually knew your dad. Lucas Rich. Had a law office on Gunter Avenue forever. When he retired, they turned the old building into a barbecue joint.” Burns gave his head a jerk. “Sad. That why you became a lawyer? Because of your old man?”

Jason frowned. “I guess that was part of the reason.”