Golden Trail (The 'Burg #3)(129)

She’d asked them if they remembered when Layne flew them all to Sedona for Spring Break and the boys had gone horseback riding.

She’d asked them if they remembered when Layne flew them all out to Colorado for Christmas, they’d driven up to Winter Park and the boys had gone skiing.

She’d asked them if they remembered coming down to Florida four years ago and “your father met that lovely Cassie woman and stayed out all night”.

And she’d asked them, while serving Milky Way cake, if they remembered going to LA for his birthday two years ago and she’d taught “that sweet Melody” how to make Layne’s favorite cake.

At first, these stories completely deflected off of Rocky and the boys had joined in with their grandmother. Rocky was too busy rooting for the Colts, eating junk food and bumping closed fists with Tripp anytime the Colts made a great play to cotton on to Vera’s new dirty game.

Then, after the never ending stories, it started to wear on Rocky and she ate less and got quieter. Jasper noted it at this point and stopped joining in and started paying more attention to texting Keira than his grandmother or football.

Then, when Vera brought up Cassie, Tripp got silent and became so engrossed in the game it was as if he’d be asked to re-enact it play for play. Rocky had been stretched out in front of Layne on the couch and when Cassie was brought up, Rocky went still as Layne went solid. She waited ten minutes, rolled off the couch and went to the bathroom. When she returned, she curled up in the side of the couch by his feet, her knees tucked to her chest, her elbow to the arm rest, her head in her hand, her eyes on the game and Rocky locked herself right in her head.

She’d accepted a piece of cake then set it aside after two bites which was approximately ten seconds after Vera announced she’d taught Melody how to make it.

Which was approximately five seconds after Layne’s cake plate hit the table with a crash, Vera jumped, Tripp’s shoulders slumped, Jasper’s concentration on his phone became visibly acute but Rocky didn’t move her eyes from the TV.

Layne moved. He rolled off the couch, got his cigarettes and cell and went outside.

He took a drag and on the exhale flipped open his phone and called Merry.

“You’ve reached Lieutenant Garrett Merrick, I’m unable to take your call but leave a message and I’ll get back to you,” he heard in his hear.

“This is the third time I’ve called today, Merry, you get this, call me back,” Layne growled into the phone, flipped it closed, took another drag and on the exhale he called Dave.

“Hello?” Dave answered.

“Dave. Layne.”

“Tanner, son, how are you?”

“Been better, Dave,” Layne answered honestly, an answer he wouldn’t have thought he’d give after he woke up that morning and after what transpired in his closet that day but, f**k him, there he was, giving it. “Listen, I’ve been tryin’ to get hold of Merry. You know where he is?”

“He’s on call this weekend, Tanner, probably busy,” Dave replied.

This wasn’t an excuse for Merry not to take his calls. Merry always took his calls.

“He got anything else goin’ this weekend?” Layne pushed.

“Not that I know of. He had a hot date last night but then he’s always got a hot date. Boy needs to settle down, he’s too old for this shit. I don’t know what was wrong with Mia. Never could get that.”

Layne couldn’t either. He hadn’t been around when Merry hooked up with Mia but he knew her before he left town. She was a seriously pretty, petite redhead with a temper that matched her hair but a wicked sense of humor and a smile that rivaled Rocky’s, falling short because she didn’t have a dimple and Layne had never been in love with her. Word was Merry fell and fell hard then broke loose for no reason.

Seemed the Merrick kids shared a particular trait.

Fuck, he really needed to talk to Merry.

“Dave, can you tell him if you see him or hear from him that I need to talk to him?” Layne asked. “As soon as he can.”

“Sure, son, no problems,” Dave paused then asked, “How’s Roc?”

“We’re back together,” Layne announced without preamble and this was met with utter silence.

Layne let the silence stretch and waited for Dave’s response as he took a drag and exhaled.

Finally, Dave whispered, “Sorry?”

“We’re back together, Dave,” Layne repeated. “Things changed on Friday and we talked it through last night.”

“You talked it through?” Dave repeated.

“Yep,” Layne replied and waited.

“You been separated for closin’ on twenty years and you talked it through,” Dave said.

“Yep,” Layne returned.

“How is she?” Dave asked, this question giving Layne nothing.

“She would be fine but Ma’s here and not Roc’s biggest fan so let’s say it’s not goin’ as smooth as I’d like it to go.”

“Vera’s there?”

“Yep.”

“Oh boy,” Dave muttered, knowing Vera and living in the same town as Vera until Vera moved to Florida five years ago. Vera hadn’t just decided to hate Rocky for breaking Layne’s heart. She became an equal opportunity Merrick hater, blaming them all. The only person Vera hated more than Rocky and her family was Gabby and that was only because Gabby wasn’t just a bitch to Layne, she was a bitch to his mother too and such a far cry from what Vera had when she had Rocky, it dug that particular knife in deeper.