Page 32 of Indescribable
“Wonder who her parents are?”
“Not sure. Never seen her around. Damn, that makes us sound creepy, huh?”
I wince. “To anyone who isn’t from around here, probably. We’re turning into the nosy older generation who has to ask everyone who they belong to, like they still belong to their parents even when they’re adults themselves.”
Cash snickers. “Soon we’ll be sitting around drinking coffee with the old guys at the diner getting all the latest gossip.”
“They do seem to know all the latest.”
“And only a quarter of it is true.”
We laugh and Brooklyn brings us our drinks just as Cody comes flying to the table, Boone walking slowly behind him.
“How’s our favorite dude?” I ask, ruffling Cody’s mop of hair that he quickly covers up with his white ballcap with a large orange T on the front. The kid is a die-hard Tennessee Volunteers fan.
He bats my hand away. “Good. Had to break up a fight at school today.”
“For real?” I ask, almost choking on my Coke.
He nods solemnly. “Girls, man. They’re wild.”
“You broke up a fight between two girls?” Cash asks, humor lacing his tone.
“Three,” he corrects his uncle.
“What were they fighting about?”
Boone groans and drops his head back mumbling something about needing something stronger in his Coke to survive this. Cash and I share a look. There’s no way we’re dropping this subject now. It sounds like it’ll be an amazing story.
Cody smirks and puffs out his tiny twelve-year-old chest. “Me, of course.”
“Of course,” Cash murmurs.
“So they were fighting over you?” I ask, ignoring Boone’s look telling me not to pry for more details.
“Well, yeah. I’m the one all the girls want, you know.”
“Such a burden,” I reply, encouraging him.
He sighs heavily, spins his ballcap so the bill is backward, and leans back in his seat, arms behind his head. “It really is. God gave me these looks and the women can’t resist them.”
Boone groans again. “You really need to work on the gift of humbleness, too.”
Our mozzarella sticks are delivered and without waiting for them to cool, Cody reaches for one and takes a big bite. “I know I’m supposed to be humble, but aren’t I also supposed to be thankful for the gifts and blessings I’ve been given? That would be like a slap to God’s face if I did that.”
“He’s got you there,” Cash says, taking a bite out of a mozzarella stick then freaking out because it burned his tongue.
“Serves you right,” Boone answers back, snickering at him complaining about the food being too hot.
“Sometimes food is too good to wait to cool down, right, Uncle Cash?”
“That’s right, little man.” Cash reaches over and grips his shoulder, lightly shaking him a bit.
Cody grins around a mouthful of cheese and breading.
After polishing off three mozzarella sticks and half of his Sprite, he leans forward and looks around like he’s making sure no one around us is listening.
“So get this. Whitney, you know the one, right, Dad?”