Page 133 of Griz Rides Tall

“About the same as I look,” Boomer said with a smile. “But everything’s going to be fine. Hello, Becca.”

Becca swallowed down hard on her emotions, and did her best to keep her voice even. “Hey, I… um… hi, Boomer. It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to be seen,” Boomer said. “Everyone’s been catching me up on what happened since the courthouse. It sounds like I missed out on a lot of excitement.”

“You can say that again, Boomer,” Devil said, bouncing up and down in his excitement. “Man, you should’ve seen it. When Griz fought that Mal guy? The douchebag who shot you? He shoved an axe handle down his throat.”

“Really?” Boomer said.

“No, I mean, like, all the way down his throat,” Devil said. “Like he was spitting a pig. I never seen anything like it. For a second I thought that axe handle was going to come out of Mal’s asshole.”

Boomer smiled, both at Devil’s story and at his son standing by his side. “Sounds like you handled things, son.”

Griz shook his head. “I messed up a lot, Dad. I got Wyatt shot, I…”

Boomer stopped him by putting a hand on his arm. “I think you did just fine. Wyatt?”

“He stepped up,” Wyatt said. “Made a lot of tough calls, took a lot on himself to make sure the club stayed true to itself.”

“I never doubted it,” Boomer said. “Now, enough of these crying eyes. You people are acting like I died, not like I woke up.”

“Becca was a big help, too, dad,” Griz said. “She helped negotiate the end of the war.”

“So I heard,” Boomer said, looking at her. “I think I told you that there was iron in you, Becca.”

“Yes, Giant Yoda,” Becca said, rolling her eyes a little, and everyone laughed at that.

Now that the tension was broken, everyone began to talk a little more easily. Everyone wanted to tell Boomer their part in the war, all at once, and Griz had to remind them to take it one at a time so as not to overwhelm him.

Boomer wasn’t the only one feeling overwhelmed. Becca didn’t know if it was the sudden surge of emotions running through her, but she began feeling light-headed again, and actually stumbled into Kate standing next to her.

“Becca?” Kate said.

“What? Nothing,” Becca said. “It’s nothing. Just… a little emotional, you know? Clutching my pearls and getting the vapors.”

“Very funny,” Kate said. “Come here with me a second.”

“No, Katie, I…” Becca protested, but let Kate pull her out of the room by the hand and into a nearby empty room.

“Let me look at you,” Kate said, shining a little flashlight in her eyes.

“Stop that,” Becca said, batting the light away. “I’m fine. It’s just nerves. This is a big deal, you know? Griz has been so…”

“Have you been feeling like this any other time lately?” Kate said, interrupting her.

“No. Yes. I mean, a little here and there,” Becca said. “Don’t make a big thing, Kate, I want to go back in there and…”

“Hang on,” Kate said, touching a hand to Becca’s forehead and then taking her pulse. After a moment, she asked, “When was the last time you had any blood work done?”

“Uh, never,” Becca said. “I don’t know. Can’t remember. Wait, no no no…”

“One vial,” Kate said.

“Come on, Kate…”

“One vial, then you can go back in there.”

Becca pouted. “I hate you.”