Rules of Protection(62)

“Fried backstrap,” Cowboy said. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing weird.”

I finished chewing and swallowed. “Then why are you smiling, Jake?”

Jake laughed. “It’s deer meat.” I closed my eyes and breathed out of my nose, but didn’t say anything for a full minute. “Are you going to be sick?” Jake asked.

I opened my eyes and glared at both of them. “No, I’m trying to decide which of you I’m going to kick in the balls first.” Obviously, they weren’t too concerned, since both of them laughed.

“Shit, it’s nothing,” Cowboy said. “Judd is over there right now eating a bowl of squirrel stew.”

I fought the urge to gag. “Do you people kill and eat anything that moves or has a heartbeat? God, I hope a homeless guy doesn’t wander onto the property.”

They all smirked as we sat at the end of a picnic table. Ox offered to get me some pink lemonade and brought it back to me in a clear plastic cup.

“No opossum blood or anything strange in it, right?”

“No, ma’am, not unless you think vodka is strange.”

I peered around at the other tables and saw some young children drinking pink lemonade as well. My eyes enlarged to the size of dinner plates. “Don’t tell me…”

“No,” Ox said, laughing. “I added it to your cup, not the pitcher. We don’t start off that early around these parts.”

“Thank God.”

…

After sunset, the party continued.

Hank turned on the outside lights to the barn to light up the pool and threw some logs in the burn pit to ward off the mosquitoes. Kids swam tirelessly, women stood around chattering like a flock of hens, and the men took turns telling stories and picking on a guitar around the fire.

Jake found me lying on the top of the picnic table away from the crowd, looking up at the stars. He leaned over me, blocking my view. “Hey, I’ve been looking for you.”

I peered around his big head. “I’ve never seen this many stars before.”

“Yeah, they don’t have starry skies in Chicago,” Jake replied dryly.

“No, that’s not what I mean. The atmosphere is different here. No honking horns, no cars, no city lights—just the sounds of nature. It’s quiet, like I’m the only person in the world seeing this.”

“You might be cut out for country life, after all.”

I laughed and sat up. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

“Well, I was looking for you because Big Jim and the twins haven’t met you yet.”

“Excuse me?” I nearly choked on the saliva in my mouth.

Jake stepped to the side and pointed across the yard to a large man with a beard standing next to two toddlers. “His wife, Amy, talked to you earlier and wanted him and the twins to meet you before they left. It’s past their bedtime.”

I stifled my giggles while we talked to them, but every time Jake called him by name and referred to his twins, the laughter bubbled in my throat. I’d met too many people to remember all of their names, but some stood out more than others. Big Jim was one of them. Then again, I wasn’t bound to forget Catfish or Slick, either.

After making our rounds to say good night to the guests who were leaving, Jake ended up back over near the ice chests with his boys. I gathered empty beer bottles from a neighboring table.

“Hey, Jake, everyone’s leaving. Why don’t we all go down to The Backwoods for a few drinks?” Cowboy suggested. “They have a live band tonight.”

Jake’s back was to me, but I saw him give Cowboy a noncommittal shrug. “Nah, that’s okay. It’s been a long day. I think I’m going to take a shower and turn in.”

“Come on, Jake. It’s been a long time since we’ve all been out together.”

“Emily’s a homebody,” Jake argued. “She wouldn’t want to go.”

They all looked at him as if he was crazy, but Ox spoke up. “Your girl? You’re kidding, right? She has party written all over her. What’s the real reason you don’t want to go?”

“Look, guys, Emily can’t—”

“I had a headache earlier,” I said, approaching from behind. “But it’s gone now. Why don’t we go, Jake? It sounds like fun.”

Jake shot me an unappreciative look. “No.” His definite tone meaning “end of discussion” was easily deciphered.

“Why?” I asked. “I wouldn’t mind—”

“I said no, and I meant it,” he snapped, rubbing his hand through his hair with irritation. Then he got up and stomped off.

My blood boiled, driven mad by the injustice, though I pretended to blow it off when Judd asked, “Anyone else notice how strange he’s acting?”

They all looked to me for an answer, but all I could do was turn my hands up and shrug. “He’s probably just tired.”

“Well, then we should get going, let him get some beauty rest,” Cowboy said. “He knows where we’ll be if he changes his mind.”

…

There were a few stragglers left when Jake and I went to the cottage. He wanted to shower, and I got ready for bed. At least that’s what Jake thought.

After his friends left, I had asked Slick for directions to The Backwoods. He was thoughtful enough to draw me a map on a napkin and told me which landmarks to look for. Guess he’s not the only one who’s slick.