Ride Steady(178)

“Okay,” Carissa mumbled.

“And I’m halfway between you, Carson and Travis and Linus, Kam and the kids. Perfect spot,” Mrs. Heely kept at her.

“Right,” Carissa said, adjusting her plate in front of her.

“I love you want me close,” Mrs. Heely said on a loud whisper, and Joker looked at the back of her head. “That’s very sweet. But I’ve got friends where I am, and I like that I can still take care of my own place. Anything bigger, even a little bit bigger, that would be a lot on me.”

“I could help,” Carissa offered immediately.

“You want Carson to have his family,” Mrs. Heely replied quietly and Joker’s back shot straight.

He didn’t know that was it. He just thought it was Carrie being Carrie, taking care of people, taking care of a woman who meant something to him like her father took care of the woman who raised him.

Carissa didn’t answer, but it wasn’t lost on Joker that she avoided looking at him.

And there it was, that was it.

“I’m not far away,” Mrs. Heely said.

“You’re right. It was a stupid idea. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up,” Carissa returned and Joker could see the pink in her cheeks. She made a move to get up and start collecting dishes.

“Carrie,” Mrs. Heely called.

Carissa stopped moving, planted her ass back in her chair, and looked to Mrs. Heely.

Mrs. Heely said nothing.

But then again, Joker didn’t see her face.

What he saw was that Mrs. Heely actually did say something. Just not with words. He knew it when Carissa’s face went soft, her eyes especially. He knew it when Linus cleared his throat. And he knew it when Kam fidgeted, pulling her napkin from her lap and suddenly pushing back, grabbing some plates, averting her eyes, and moving directly to the kitchen.

“Okay,” Carrie whispered.

“Okay,” Mrs. Heely whispered back.

Whatever she said was huge.

That being, he figured, Mrs. Heely officially passing the buck of looking after Joker to his girl.

Joker didn’t make a big deal of it. It was over and the women started to clear the table.

So he joined the boys on the couch, or actually he let Travis do it, but he allowed this when he could pay attention as they rough-housed with their toddler friend to make sure Jackson and Tyler didn’t do any damage.

Linus joined him and he shot the shit with his friend as the women shot the shit over dishes in the kitchen. Then they all shot the shit lounging on Carissa’s couch, the men with fresh beers, Kam and Carrie with their wine, Mrs. Heely with her decaf.

They did this until it was time for Linus and Kam to get their brood home and Carson to get his ass in his truck to take Mrs. Heely to hers.

It all went well until he was walking Mrs. Heely to her door and she suddenly shouted, “Yes, Bertie! This is the Carson I told you about!” while tugging at his arm.

He looked through the fading light to see the shadow of a woman in her doorway in the place next to Mrs. Heely’s.

She was waving like a lunatic.

He lifted a hand then dropped it.

“She has six sons,” Mrs. Heely hissed. “Six. They’re always coming around then she’s on about telling us how they’re fixing her light switches. Bringing her her favorite LaMar’s. Taking her out for fancy steak dinners.” Her voice switched to cocky when she said, “But not one of them has found a woman, and some of them are in their forties. Six men, no wives. And not one single grandchild.”

Joker stopped them at her door and looked down to see a look on her face that said, clearly, she’d won.

“Good you got four,” he muttered.

She screwed her eyes up at him. “I better get more.”

He felt his lips twitch. “You tellin’ me to knock up Carrie?”

“I’m telling you that if you don’t, she’s going to expire from longing.”

She didn’t miss it then.

“Doubtful,” he muttered on a tease.

“She wants to be tied to you,” Mrs. Heely replied. She was not teasing, so he felt that hit his chest, and it was also warm. “She wants you to have all the things you didn’t. She wants to give them to you personally. She wants it herself, but she wants it more for you.”

Joker stood still and said nothing.

But he thought that what Mrs. Heely didn’t say was what Carissa really wanted.