Chapter Text
Chapter 25
“This is bullshit. Just straight up fucking bullshit,” Kitty muttered, shaking her head and munching on some peach coffee cake topped with cream cheese icing. As she swallowed around the sweet dessert, she sighed, shaking her head and glancing at Patricia, “Not the cake, of course. As always it’s delicious and my favorite damn thing you’ve ever come up with. But this situation? This agreement between you and that. . . THING? It’s beyond fucked up. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it deep down. And he expects us all to just do what? Just play along with his sick fucking game? Is he insane?”
“He’s not insane. At least, not entirely. But he’s in charge here and the creatures in charge of HIM want this, so yeah, he wants us to agree to a truce and to my current situation and I think we should agree to it. He’s made it clear that if we don’t our lives and the lives of our loved ones are forfeit. That is a risk that I am not willing to take simply for standing against him and Black Iron Mountain, ” Patricia replied. “Well then maybe Patricia’s right?” Mary Ellen said in a quiet voice, “I mean he’s holding all the cards here, right? He could take out any of us or our children anytime, after all. . . And if he’s promised safety as long as we do as he says. . .” “So the monster, who’s been hurting kids all this time and lying about it, says he’ll stop if Patricia and the rest of us do our part? And we’re supposed to BELIEVE him? Does he REALLY think that it can be that simple?!” Kitty scoffed, shaking her head, “I’ll be damned if I let a fucking TICK tell ME what to do.”
Patricia closed her eyes, holding her own plate of brunch h’orderves in her lap and taking a sip of her orange juice laced with Harris’s revitalization supplement. She’d been in the kitchen since 8:00 am that morning, cooking and baking in preparation for the arrival of Kitty and Horse, Mary Ellen and Ed, and Mrs. Greene She hadn’t needed to get up so early and make nearly as much food as she had, but after waking up in James’s arms at 5:00, she hadn’t been able to remain snuggled up to the Prowler for one more moment. Instead she’d remained awake for long minutes as her mind played out her impending conversation with the other women over and over again with each scenario ending in disgust, anger, or pity. Instead of remaining curled up with James, she’d done what always worked as a good distraction when she got anxious: she’d baked.
She’d gotten washed up, dressed in a light blue pinstripe button down and white jeans, put on her shoes from the previous day, and headed into the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, she’d proceeded to make recipe after recipe, resulting in pecan-praline french toast, hashbrown and sausage casserole, individual grit casseroles in gleaming white ramekins loaded with bacon, chives, and cheese, lemon bars with a hint of mint, orange cinnamon rolls, pigs in a blanket wrapped up in a wooden basket, quiche, peach coffee cake, slow cooker cinnamon roll casserole, bacon, sausage, and cheesy scrambled eggs. Blue had eventually joined her in the kitchen at around 9:00, dressed in a Metallica Master of Puppets shirt and black baggy jeans, with Ragtag on his heels and The Green Mile under his arm. After giving her a firm hug, he’d started brewing some coffee, let Ragtag out into the backyard, and sat on a bar stool with a burgundy mug filled with a little coffee and an overdose of cream and sugar. From that point on, his eyes had remained glued to the book as he munched on his pigs in a blanket he’d scavenged from a cooking tray. They’d made a few remarks to one another regarding the book but hadn’t engaged in a REAL conversation, and Patricia had been grateful for both the distraction her son offered her and the relative silence between their brief interactions.
With some country music playing lightly in the background, it had been a relatively peaceful morning as Ragtag had explored his new backyard, remaining in full view of the kitchen window while Blue had read his book and Patricia had tried to mentally prepare for the impending conversation with her friends. Unfortunately her musings didn’t go much better than the ones she’d had upon waking earlier that day, and often made her wonder if she’d be able to convince any of the others to accept her current situation which she’d barely accepted herself. Furthermore, she had begun to wonder if her friends would even still be her friends when their conversation concluded. James had told her he didn’t plan to separate her from them, but what if the mere nature of their agreement did just that?
Now Harris was up in his office with Horse and Ed, having requested their audience to discuss some plans he had for Gracious Cay now that Carter had been bought out of his share. When the others had arrived, Blue had taken Ragtag for a long walk, and now Patricia was sitting with the other women out on the front porch, to try to give them a sense of privacy. She didn’t bother mentioning that James could still most likely hear every word they said. Given Kitty’s irritable disposition, that had been a wise decision.
Glancing upstairs, she felt a stab of irritation that James had left her to defend him and his request alone. She had a feeling that his conversation was going a lot more smoothly than hers. . . “You might not trust James, Kitty, and with good reason. Even I do not trust him entirely. But I trust my gut. And right now it is telling me that James is scared for his life if this childbearing doesn’t work out.” “Good! Let him be scared for a while! That doesn’t mean that his situation involves you!” Kitty argued adamantly. “Unfortunately, his situation DOES involve me now. . . irrevocably so, in fact. In James’s mind, he needs me to continue to survive and therefore he’s determined to ensure that I play my part. I think that the fact that he needs me is one of the main reasons I’m still alive. For me that means two things: that he’s willing to do as he’s promised to make sure this works. . . and that he’s desperate enough to destroy anyone who doesn’t agree to it and comes after him as he tries to carry out his plans,” Patricia remarked calmly, looking pointedly at Kitty with her final words, “REGARDLESS of who he has to take down in the process.” Kitty rolled her eyes and looked out into the distance, as if Patricia was being overdramatic.
“I don’t want to witness what that might entail, Kitty. I don’t want James to destroy the lives of myself or any of you. So I’d appreciate it if you would PLEASE do as I’ve asked and leave Harris alone to carry out his plans. If possible, I’d like for you to do that while accepting my decision to serve him in the capacity that has been laid out before me.” Patricia speared through some french toast with her fork and brought the bread to her lips. As it passed through them, Kitty turned back to her, staring at her in shock, “You’d. . . you’d apprec- Patricia, are you INSANE?!”
“Perhaps, but that doesn’t change the fact that my fate and the fates of my children are now irrevocably tied to his own. Not to mention the fate of his spawn inside of me, which is growing by the day. It also doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want to see any of you or the children of Mt. Pleasant get hurt unnecessarily any longer by standing against him,” Patricia remarked firmly. When Kitty groaned, rolling her eyes, Patricia frowned and leaned forward on the swing she shared with Mary Ellen, sitting her plate on the wicker table between them and the other two women sitting in two of the porch’s rocking chairs.
“Kitty, I can assure you that I am not happy that I have been placed in this situation. I merely tolerate it, and only just enough to not panic every time I think about it. If I had my way, Harris would be dead, cut into pieces, and disposed of by now. Our plan would have worked and I would be moving Blue, Corey, and myself far away from here after divorcing Carter, never to have to worry about monsters like James Harris ever again. Most importantly, the children of Mt. Pleasant wouldn’t have to worry about him. . .”
“And that was a good plan we had. A GOOD plan,” Kitty said firmly, “Why are you so quick to abandon it after fighting for it for so long? Don’t you remember WHY we decided to make that plan to begin with? All the lives that could be saved? We could still make it work. We just have to try harder. . .” “That’s a lie, Kitty, and you damn well know it,” Patricia said firmly, frowning at her friend. Kitty glared at her, unwilling to admit the truth that Patricia knew: that she was right.
Kitty’s suddenly emboldened attitude didn’t truly faze her. Kitty may have “calmed” as she’d gotten married, had kids, and aged over the years, but Patricia knew her better than anyone, and the fire that Kitty’s passion could harbor when agitated. Kitty was a fighter at heart, even when it didn’t suit her. When it came to defending her friends, and especially Patricia. . . Well, Kitty pushing Jeremy Summers off the top of the playground in Kindergarten after he’d been pulling Patricia’s ponytail all day had been Patricia’s first indication that when it came to defending her friends Kitty was passionate and at times dangerous.
Jeremy was the “rich” kid in town at the time and had always been a trouble maker but that day he’d been pulling her hair, calling her family white trash in hushed whispers in class, and tripping her to fall face first on the wood chips on the playground. Patricia had been crying when Kitty had tugged her upright from the wood chips, introduced herself as Patricia’s new best friend, offered her a wadded up Kleenex for her tear covered face, and guided her to sit on the swingset. Patricia remembered sitting there for a few minutes as she’d been told to do, her young mind spinning and focusing only on the Kleenex as she’d cleaned up her face with one hand while her other hand brushed the wood chips from her scratched up knees. Kitty had said she’d be right back at the time, and in her upset state Patricia had held onto that truth and resolved to wait for her new best friend, especially since she had never had one before. She hadn't broken out of her stupor until Jeremy’s ear piercing shriek filled the air. His arm had snapped like a twig when he hit the ground after his fall from the top of the platform that led to both the metal slide and monkey bars of the playground.
His fall was followed by a symphony of screams and yells from the teachers and the kids as everyone else had gathered around him where he lay in the wood chips. Kitty had claimed that she’d only been trying to get on the monkey bars and hadn’t realized he was so close to her when she’d bumped into him. Jeremy hadn’t disputed her story. But Patricia knew differently. She knew she’d pushed Jeremy down and then threatened him with worse if he didn’t agree with her and quit messing with Patricia. The fact that Jeremy never looked at her again apart from apologizing for his behavior made that clear. At the time, Patricia had been both a little scared of Kitty’s ferocity but happy and grateful she had cared for her.
Over time, Patricia had continued to enjoy Kitty’s company and the continued protection that being her “best friend” afforded her. Not only did walking with Kitty at school, eating lunch with her, playing with her, and making friendship bracelets with her provide her with companionship, it helped keep the bullies at bay. Kitty hadn’t fought much in grade school, but she’d fought enough to make sure that everyone kept their distance from her bad side.
Gradually, in addition to spending time with Kitty in school, Patricia often found herself always going to Kitty’s mobile home after school. It had started off as just getting an occasional ride from Kitty’s older sister when her own parents failed to pick her up from school. As time passed, the trips to Kitty’s house became more frequent, especially since Kitty’s mom, who worked three jobs and didn’t have much time to spend at home, didn’t mind her daughter having the company. And Kitty’s dad was out of the picture, so no protests could be heard from him. The first time Patricia had asked about Kitty’s missing dad her friend had just shrugged and said the asshole left one day and never came back. Despite the clanging and banging that Kitty’s sister’s old Ford pinto made as it took Patricia to the faded blue mobile home with gaudy, cracked lawn ornaments in its overgrown front yard, Patricia had felt so much safer going to Kitty’s house than to her own. At least no one yelled or fought there. All that really happened was she and Kitty played in her and her sister’s room or listened to the radio on the front porch while Kitty’s sister hung out with her boyfriend and got high in the living room. Kitty’s house had always smelled of smoke and the fridge and pantry were often bare but for a few junk food essentials. Still, Patricia had found herself grateful as Kitty and her had braided one another’s hair, played games, and laughed along to the comedians on the radio. When Kitty’s mom had gotten a TV, they’d been overjoyed to watch the flickering, staticky screen as well.
As they’d grown older, Kitty’s mom got a better job and started dating a boyfriend who helped cover the bills, enabling her to spend more time at home with the girls. As she’d observed the two when Patricia stayed overnight and for meals, she’d said she was grateful for Patricia hanging out with Kitty. When Patricia’s mom had asked if she was a bother, she’d gone so far as calling her a good influence, highlighting how when she’d do her homework at Kitty’s cracked, smoke stained linoleum kitchen table she was often helping Kitty finish her own.
In short, the two had been inseparable for years, and Patricia had been grateful for Kitty’s friendship and protection the entire time. But she could have done without all of the fighting. Kitty was often physical and verbally combative with others, especially when it came to defending Patricia who was much more passive and complacent by nature. Whilst Kitty never demanded that Patricia fight alongside her, she often found herself trying to stop fights before they happened or while they occurred. As they had entered middle school, she’d gotten to where she could notice the signs and try to stop fights, but she’d certainly had to accompany her friend to the principal's office on more than one occasion. And she’d walk in there every time for Kitty, holding her friend’s hand in her own.
Kitty was her best friend and no amount of fights would ever change that. As they’d grown older, Patricia had better understood how her home life and the shit hand it had dealt her had emblazoned Kitty with an unquenchable need to defend herself when provoked. As Kitty had grown older and more trusting, Patricia had learned the REAL reason her father wasn’t in the picture. He hadn’t just gotten up one day, left, and never returned. He’d hurt Kitty. Deeply. Luckily, her mother’s shotgun and threats had made sure his pick up never rolled back down their street. Those hardships had made Kitty who she was, and Patricia chose to remain her friend not out of pity but love for the sister who’d chosen her and stood by her. That meant working with Kitty despite her violent side, even if Patricia didn’t approve of it. As Patricia had grown older, she had moved on from waiting for Kitty to finish detention to heading to the jail to pick her up, often after pleading with the police to let things slide or using her earnings from her part time jobs to pay for Kitty’s bail, which her friend always repaid once released.
Now, like so many times before, Patricia had to rein that passionate, determined side of Kitty in. Especially since a trip to the principal or to jail wasn’t at stake. Instead, Kitty’s continued existence was in jeopardy. “Kitty, I hear what you’re saying, believe me, I do,” Patricia emphasized, seeing Kitty’s eyes take on a stony look that she rarely gave Patricia. It was a look that Kitty only gave when she was furious and Patricia was trying to calm her down, and it made Patricia’s gut clench each time. In that look Patrixia didn’t just see anger but hurt, mistrust, and betrayal as Kitty didn’t understand why Patricia refused to let her “help” her in her current situation.
Patricia knew by now that the betrayal in those looks wasn’t really directed at her, but every time she saw it there was a resulting pain in her chest. Kitty COULD trust her. She KNEW that. Still, it made her feel like shit any time she saw Kitty subconsciously question that.
Patricia swallowed and reached forward, grasping Kitty’s hand still holding the other her friend’s mug as firmly as she dared. She flinched as Kitty grit her teeth and roughly flicked her wrist, refusing the offered comfort. Patricia sighed and hung her head. “You’re right, we did have a plan. And I offered its loudest encouragement. None of us would have gone through with it if not for me. That didn’t make it a good plan though. Or a sound one. It was a haphazard, desperate plan made in haste, with a minimal chance of working,” Patricia remarked with a sigh, tilting her head up to look at her friend, “It didn’t work then and it won’t work now even if we modify it. We only convinced ourselves that we could pull it off and that our community would be free of monsters afterwards because it was our last chance to take down James. Hell, even then, I barely convinced you and the others to agree to it as our last chance, and wouldn’t have been able to if I hadn’t emphasized how real of a threat he was to all of our children.”
Kitty scoffed, shaking her head and running her fingers through her red locks, the strands of hair sliding through her fingers, “It wasn’t THAT difficult to convince us . . .” “It WAS, and with good reason. James had everyone fooled, and had already beaten us once before. We all knew he could do it again, even if we didn’t want to admit it,” Patricia insisted, looking at her intently, “As I said, our plan had a minimal chance of success and we knew it. And, as I have learned recently, even if we had succeeded, we would have had much larger dangers to contend with even with James gone. James isn’t the only monster like himself in this world. He has an entire organization of monsters who would come after us if we succeeded in exposing or killing him.”
“We don’t know that for certain,” Kitty muttered, leaning back and crossing her arms, frowning at Patricia, “We only know that Harris told you that. And let’s not forget, he’s the one whose specialty has been LYING to everyone in our goddamn town for over a decade.” “I can never forget what he’s done or how much he’s lied to us. I can assure you of that,” Patricia remarked firmly, “But, for the sake of my children and the rest of our community, I will believe him regarding his organization and the dangers it poses until I know otherwise. Because I can’t afford not to,” Patricia said without hesitation.
For a moment the two locked eyes, staring one another down, before Patricia sighed and dropped her gaze to the table between them, “I don’t expect for you to approve of my arrangement with James, Kitty. I don’t expect any of you to. I honestly only hope that you all will remain my friends and by my side as I embark on fulfilling my new role. Regardless of your reservations, we can’t try another attack on Harris now. There’s no telling what ramifications it could lead to.” “Bu-” “We can speculate all we want about what we could do to act against Harris. But facts are facts and the plan didn’t work. Harris is still alive and full of vitality, and would still be a very real threat to everyone we know and care about if not for my agreement with his deal. He also would be even more dangerous to try to take down now that our initial plan failed to fulfill its purpose. Luckily, because of what I’ve agreed to, our children can be safe from him even without our plan working. . . all of our REMAINING children, anyway.” she glanced at Mrs. Greene.
The older woman had remained mostly silent the entire time she’d been sitting on the porch with Patricia and the others, her countenance being one of stoicism as she sat with arms crossed, leaning back in her chair. Her appearance was immaculate as she wore her Sunday best, standing apart from Kitty who had just thrown on a T-shirt and jeans she clearly only used for housework and Mary Ellen who wore an orange blouse with two buttons undone and one button inserted in the wrong hole. The blouse was a long sleeve one, which was common for their weather that time of year, but Patricia had a theory that that wasn’t the only reason Mary Ellen had worn it, if the bruise she’d caught sight of on Mary Ellen’s wrist when the other woman had reached for her coffee cup a few minutes prior was any indication.
Patricia worried that some sort of argument had occurred between her and her husband, and felt guilty that she had caused it with her plan. Given how quiet Mary Ellen had been during their brunch thus far, she made a mental note to check in on Mary Ellen later that week. In contrast to Mary Ellen’s quiet, skittish appearance, Kitty just seemed ANGRY. . .She’d walked stiffly beside Horse on their way to the porch, and he’d hung a step back from his wife, looking ashamed of himself with a bandage on one of his cheeks. Kitty hadn’t said much to James, but her eyes had said plenty, both to him and to her husband. She clearly felt betrayed by the both of them and wanted revenge. Unfortunately, Patricia could not offer that to her. . .
As Kitty sat back, pressing her lips into a thin line as she clearly thought over Patricia’s words, the blonde sighed and sat back against the swing. “M-maybe Patricia’s right,” Mary Ellen whispered, making Patricia move her gaze from Mrs. Greene who had picked up some sort of dark stone pendant she had tied around her neck and was twiddling with it over her chest, stroking its grooves with her coarse fingers. Mary Ellen darted worried eyes to Patricia, then to Mrs. Greene, and lastly to Kitty, “I mean. . .We tried to go after Harris, and it didn’t work, right? So maybe Patricia’s deal with him is the next best thing to having him gone?”
“Oh don’t fucking drink the Kool-Aid just because your man yelled at you last night. . .” Kitty sneered, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and slapping the end of the box against her palm, “Ed is a pussy of a man, and if you ask me, you should have given just as well as you got regarding him,” as she flipped the box open, she dug out a lighter and cigarette from within. “I did that with Horse, and believe me, he LEARNED to support me rather than rebuke me,” Kitty drawled, sticking the end of the nicotine in her lips.
Patricia tensed slightly, a hand resting gently on her stomach before she turned her head away, her lips tight and pressed together. “I think you best put those away, Mrs. Kitty,” Mrs. Greene suddenly murmured, her old voice full of hidden threat, “If Mrs. Patricia IS pregnant, it wouldn’t be good for the baby.” “Like I give a fuck about some monster’s baby,” Kitty drawled, flicking the lighter on and letting the flame dance in the air before she cupped it and brought it close to her lips. “It’s Patricia’s baby too,” Mrs. Greene remarked calmly, just as the lighter suddenly went out. Kitty frowned and narrowed her eyes, scrunching her brow as she continued to strike the flint. No matter how many times it clicked, the flame did not relight.
“What the fuck?” she muttered, frowning as she lowered the cigarette and lighter into her lap, flicking the device incessantly to no effect, “I had that bastard go pick this shit up for me this morning. . . It’s brand fucking new. . .” When the lighter continued to not work, she growled and tossed it across the porch, “Useless. Just like him,” she drawled, putting the cigarette back in its box and jamming that into her back pocket, “Doesn’t matter. I’ll have him get me three more. He knows he owes me for the cold shoulder he gave me Sunday. Didn’t visit me once in that damn cell. . . I sure as fuck let ‘im have it when I got home though. . .”
Despite the tenseness of the situation, Patricia found herself relaxing as the possibility of Kitty lighting up was diminished. As she glanced at Mrs. Greene, she noted a look of contentment on the woman’s face as she leaned further back in her chair, her fingers once more stroking her medallion. Patricia frowned, glancing at the lighter where it lay on the porch floorboards then back to Mrs. Greene who returned her gaze to Kitty, letting the pendant drop back to lay against her dress.
“What did you say to him when you got out?” Mary Ellen whispered, concern and awe in her tone. “Same thing I’d tell Ed if I were you. That Harris is a bastard who I felt needed to be stopped and no one would listen to me, so I took matters into my own hands. I also said that if Horse bothered to pay half as much attention to me and his kids as he does to sports, his job, and his bank account, he woulda known I was up to somethin’ . . .” “That was bold . . .” Patricia said, arching an eyebrow, “What did he say after that?”
“Well of course he got loud and tried to defend himself, claiming I was crazy and insane for what I had tried to do and that he’d take the kids from me if I kept ranting and raving like that. He probably would have gone on and on for hours if I hadn’t slapped him,” Kitty drawled, grasping her coffee and lifting it back to her lips. “You SLAPPED him?” Mary Ellen asked, staring at her. Kitty chuckled, sneering at the other women, “I got hands, don’t I? Of course I slapped him! And my wedding ring caught on his cheek when I did it. Cut him pretty damn good. Poetic justice if you ask me. . .”
“That’s terrible,” Mary Ellen whispered in shock and disbelief, “Aren’t you at least a little ashamed of what you did?” “We were planning to seduce and murder Harris before cutting him into dozens of tiny pieces and stuffing him into garbage bags, Mary Ellen. Do you REALLY think I should be ashamed of bitch slapping my husband for calling me crazy, threatening me, and belittling me?” Kitty asked, arching a brow as if Mary Ellen had lost her mind.
When Mary Ellen simply continued to stare, Kitty scoffed, shaking her head, “Of course I wasn’t ashamed. I was glad I did it and still am, especially since it made him cry like the little bitch that he is. Then, when he was trying to speak again I slapped him another time, for good measure. Musta surprised him that time cuz he fell right on his ass that time. Then I told him that if he EVER tried to take my kids from me I’d call my cousin Roger. You know, the one who graduated law school five years ago, and has had a thriving practice in Nashville for the past few years? There’s no way in hell Horse would be able to take my kids from me then, and I told him that if he tried to do that I’d sue him for all he’s worth plus some. That threat shut him up for good.”
“Then what happened?” Mary Ellen inquired, her eyes wide in shock and disbelief. “Hours and hours of hate sex,” Kitty said with a sly smirk, grinning nefariously at the other woman, “Over and over again into the wee hours of the morning, since Horse’s mom came and got the kids when I got locked up.”
Patricia, who had taken a sip of her orange juice, coughed into the cup, staring at Kitty. “Y-you had sex. . . but . . . but you were angry with him!” Mary Ellen gasped, staring at Kitty, “You’d just threatened him with a lawsuit!” “Yes, hence the name HATE sex,” Kitty guffawed, rolling her eyes and smirking, picking her plate back up, “What can I say? Some of the best sex of my damn life is after Horse and I have an argument. And his back has the claw marks to prove it. You don’t always need LOVE to fuck, Mary. Just passion.” Scooping up a copious amount of Peach Coffee Cake, she shoved it into her mouth in a satisfied way.
“I can at least agree with that. I’ve been more thoroughly fucked and pleasured in the past three days than I think I EVER was when I was with Carter,” Patricia muttered, diverting her eyes to the front door of the house, wondering if James had registered Kitty’s words about her nightly activities. Kitty chuckled “Well, I suppose that’s fair. For all that bastard’s put you through, it’d be a shame if he was a lousy fuck too. . .”
“You and Blue really should team up,” Patricia muttered dryly, “He said the same thing last night. . .”Glancing at Mary Ellen, she saw that the poor woman was staring between her and Kitty like they’d lost their minds. Once again, Mrs. Greene appeared largely unaffected by the conversation. Just as Patricia was about to apologize for the lewd conversation, Kitty cleared her throat after eating the last piece of cake on her plate, leaning forward and laying it firmly on the table.
“All sexual escapades aside, we need to get back to discussing the situation at hand,” Kitty said, sitting straighter and making Patricia frown as she moved her gaze back to the redhead. Kitty locked eyes with Patricia, “Look, I’m not trying to deny the gravity of your situation, nor why you chose to accept James’s deal. And regarding us staying friends? C’mon. You KNOW ME BETTER than that. . . You’ve been stuck with me since Kindergarten, and nothin’ ‘bout that’s fixin’ to goddamn change.” Patricia couldn’t help giving her a tentative smile at that, and was warmed as Kitty gave her a smile of her own. She hadn’t wanted to entertain the thought too much, but it had been a concern of hers that Kitty would drop her as a friend.
Kitty suddenly frowned at her, and pointed a finger at Patricia, “But how do you know giving him what he wants is going to pay off for you at all? Even you aren’t so stupid as to believe that he would be true and honest in fulfilling his end of this deal, correct? Pretty words can only go so far when not reinforced through action and truth. How do you know that while feeding on you he won’t feed on the other members of our community? How do you know you’re even pregnant with his kid or that you’ll be allowed to raise it and your children as you see fit? How do you even know that this so called organization of Black Iron Mountain even exists? You may believe him, Patricia, but I don’t. The bastard’s been lying to us for YEARS. What’s to stop him from lying some more just to keep you barefoot, pregnant, and satisfied?”
“You’re right, I don’t have many concrete ways to make sure he’ll hold true to his word or that Black Iron Mountain exists. I don’t even know for certain if what he’s said about the child inside me is true. But I know some things are true. . . I know that this. . .” Patricia craned her head back and hooked a finger under her collar, “Is a powerful item that paralyzed me when I tried to kill James a second time. So any chance of me fighting against him has been nullified.” Releasing the collar, she pressed her hand to her inner thigh, “I know that the supplements he’s given me have made my scars from his feedings disappear within an hour. . .” Sliding her hand up to her lap she sucked in a deep breath, “I also know that Harris is a dangerous predator not to be tested. . . I’ve known that for years, actually . . .” She rested the hand against her stomach, “And I know that the two pregnancy tests I had Harris pick up at the store for me, which I used during last night. . . came out positive. . .and I have ONLY had sex with him within the past six months, so I’m fairly certain I know who the father is.”
Patricia sighed, her shoulders sagging, “So, for now that may be all I know about James, but that proves that in many ways he HAS told me the truth this time around. Despite the lies he’s spread in the past, I can’t risk NOT believing the other things he’s informed me about to be truth. Can you?” Kitty frowned and pressed her lips together, “So, you did take some pregnancy tests?” “Of course. I wanted to be sure, after all,” Patricia murmured softly, blinking at her, “Preferably I would have been able to check yesterday, but I didn’t have any tests then. . .” Kitty frowned and moved her gaze back to her plate, chewing on her inner cheek. Clearly mulling things over.
“So, his baby’s inside you now? You’re sure?” Mary Ellen whispered, reaching out a tentative hand and pressing it over Patricia’s stomach. Patricia held back the urge to suck in her stomach or recoil from the touch. She had NEVER understood WHY people thought it was okay to touch a woman’s stomach, whether she was pregnant or not. Normally she’d remove Mary Ellen’s hand, but right now she wanted any comfort she could receive from the women sitting around her, so she’d bear it. For now.
“Yes, I’m certain of it. And regardless of the sins of its father, I refuse to let my children suffer. That includes the one I carry. I plan to raise it and any other Prowler children I bear for James in as healthy an environment as I can provide for them. I want to teach them not to be killers but to cope with living in our society rather than preying on the members of it,” Patricia said, the softness and hope in her voice not forced at all. She truly did hope to teach the child inside of her to live a life other than that of its father.
“And you really believe James will let you do that? After all that he’s done to this community and put you through?” Kitty said, a note of skepticism in her voice that made Mary Ellen move her hand away. Patricia frowned at Kitty, “I have to believe it. For the sake of myself and my family. I have to do my best to do right by everyone, even if that means taking a chance and trusting Harris to remain true to his word.” Kitty grit her teeth, clearly struggling with what Patricia was asking of them. But she was close to accepting things. Patricia could tell that she was. The fact that she had reined in her anger was proof enough of that.
“Just let me get through this pregnancy, Kitty,” Patricia pressed, leaning forward and grasping her long time friend’s hands in hers. This time, Kitty didn’t shrug her off. Patricia took that as a good sign. “Let me deliver this child safely. If Harris betrays us during any of that time or right after, we can try to plan against him again, but please don’t let my child suffer should we fail?” she implored.
“I think that’s a reasonable request,” Mrs. Greene remarked calmly. Patricia found herself more than a little shocked that the woman seemed so content with everything. . .Patricia blinked and stared at the woman who smiled warmly at her. She couldn’t help but wonder what was going on behind her red painted lips creased into a seemingly normal contented look. “You seem surprisingly alright with everything,” Kitty drawled, frowning at Greene and expressing the doubt Patricia felt within herself regarding the other woman’s intentions.
If the older woman was impacted by Kitty’s comment it didn’t have a severe effect. She just sighed and shrugged, smiling at Kitty, “To be clear Mrs. Kitty. . . I don’t like what’s about to happen, but from what I can tell Mrs. Patricia is going to be going through a rough enough time already fulfilling her new role. The least we can do is not stress her out more by getting all worked up about things. So, if she thinks this is for the best, I feel we owe it to her to let her see it through. Don’t you?”
Kitty frowned, blinking at the woman for another moment before turning to Patricia, leaning forward and grasping her hands firmly, stroking her skin with coarse thumbs, “So, you’re sure this is his kid, huh?” Patricia swallowed and nodded, feeling her stomach tighten a bit, “I . . . I am,” she whispered softly, her eyes pleading with Kitty to relent and agree with what she wanted. She would stand up to Kitty if she needed to, but she dreaded the very thought. “And you want to have it, right? You don’t want to try to get rid of it?” Kitty asked, raising a brow. Patricia swallowed hard before nodding, “Th-that’s right. I. . . I know that might be a simpler solution that you might want me to consider. But this child. . . it doesn’t deserve to be destroyed, Kitty. You know that. I know you do. . .” Kitty grit her teeth before sighing and shaking her head, closing her eyes, “Of course I do. I know you would bear the spawn of the devil himself if the alternative was killing a child. . .”
“So, we’ve agreed then?” Mary Ellen asked, shifting nervously in her seat, “We let Patricia fulfill her deal with Jamesl?” “At least until the baby is born, I think,” Mrs. Green mused, “Nine months would be fair, I think, to see if he can prove himself to be trustworthy regarding his deal with Mrs. Patricia. But if Harris harms anyone during that time, we can revert back to the original plan once the child is born.” The woman turned to Kitty, arching a brow, “Is that acceptable Mrs. Kitty?” Kitty frowned at Mrs. Greene before turning her gaze to Patricia. Finally Kitty sighed, rolling her eyes, “FINE. He has nine months to prove himself. But if he does ANYTHING during that time. . .” “We go back to the original plan,” Patricia said with a firm nod while hoping that the situation would never come to that.
An hour later the husbands had come down with Harris and walked their respective wives to their cars with the exception of Horse. Kitty had told him she’d help Patricia clean up and that he could chat with Harris outside until they were finished. Horse hadn’t objected in the slightest. Ever since he and Kitty had started dating in highschool he’d known that no matter how close Kitty and he were, Patricia and Kitty’s bond always came first. Now, with him and Kitty going through a rough patch, Patricia was sure he felt like he was in no place to object to his wife’s demands.
Patricia sighed as she gazed down at the plate she was rinsing off in the sink. Kitty had volunteered to spoon the remnants of the brunch into various Tupperware containers to store in the refrigerator, and was doing that at the other end of the kitchen island, close to the back door. That left Patricia to clean off the dishes and put them in the dishwasher, which she was happy to do as the mundane activity helped ease her mind. She glanced at Blue out of the corner of her eye, her son laid out on the living room couch, propped up on some pillows he’d gathered at one end so that he lay on his side facing the glass doors to the kitchen, Ragtag laid out on the floor beside the furniture piece and dozing.
When Blue had come in from his walk with Ragtag Patricia had assumed he might watch some tv when he’d laid out on the couch. Instead, he now had The Green Mile open on the couch beside him, his eyes scanning the pages. He’d occasionally glanced at Patricia and Kitty as they’d brought dishes and food in from outside and to the kitchen, and had asked multiple times if they needed his help. Patricia had been touched by his consideration but had smiled and simply kissed his head each time, thanking him but saying that she could handle the clean up. Now he glanced up at her, as if to make sure she was still alright, before darting his gaze back to the pages. She couldn’t help but smile. Blue had always shared her love of literature, and she couldn’t wait to discuss the book with him.
Her attention was drawn from him to Kitty as the woman huffed and moved to the refrigerator, balancing the Tupperware containers in her hands. Without being asked Patricia smiled at her friend and opened the door, letting Kitty slide the food inside, “Thanks again. For staying behind and helping with cleaning up.”
The woman blinked, glancing at her with a look that clearly said she hadn’t stayed behind just for food clean up. “Sure. No problem. Besides, it’s less time you’re alone with that asshole, right?” Patricia sighed and turned to the dishes, “You sound like Blue. I have a feeling that if the two of you had your way I’d be under almost constant watch by you both. To keep me from being alone with James.”
“Then that kid’s got a good head on his shoulders. A much better one than I’ve given him credit for, anyway. The less time you spend alone with that bloodsucking bastard the better,” Kitty said, grasping the now empty serving dishes and bringing them to the sink. “Go sit down, Trish. I’ve got this. You’ve done enough today,” she muttered, elbowing Patricia to the side.
Patricia sighed but smiled and nodded, releasing the dish and towel in her hands. Moving around the island she eased onto a stool and leaned forward, resting a cheek on her hand and watching as Kitty rinsed off dish after dish and put them below the counter in the dishwasher. For a while the other woman worked in silence, and Patricia found herself becoming mesmerized by the process. As her eyelids began to droop, Kitty finally sighed as she put the last dish in the dishwasher, leaning down and adding the prescribed cleaning solution before closing and starting the machine, “I’m beginnin’ to think if we’d been more careful with you bein’ alone with him we wouldn’t be stuck in this shit show.”
Patricia frowned, looking at Kitty as she stood up, wiping her hands before leaning forward, palms pressed on the countertop as she frowned at Patricia, “You shoulda never come here alone that night. Shoulda never been the goddamn bait. Not by yourself.” Patricia sighed and shook her head,”Kitty . . .” “Don’t ’Kitty’ me. Not when you know it’s the damn truth,” Kitty muttered, before sighing and shaking her head, beginning to pace back and forth on the other side of the counter, hands on her hips, “I keep replaying that night over and over in my damn head. I shoulda come with you. I’ve always been there for ya, except for the few times when I wasn’t, and when I wasn’t it always turned to shit. Like that night when Carter fucking knocked you up and that day after we all fucking abandoned you and you took those pills. Not to mention the years after that when we just acted like everything was normal. Like you were just crazy. I wasn’t there for you any of those times. Even though I knew I shoulda been. Just like Saturday night. I should have been here. You shouldn’t have been here alone.”
“Kitty, stop it,” Patricia muttered, closing her eyes and sighing, shaking her head, “You know that was never the plan for a reason. I needed to seduce James. I couldn’t have done that with you here . . .” “Bullshit. We coulda made it seem like a 2-for-1 deal or somethin’,” Kitty huffed, running her hand through her hair, eyes darting around the room, “Then we woulda gotten him to the bedroom and taken him on there. He wouldn’t have been able to fight both of us. Then he wouldn’t have fed on you, he wouldn’t have fucked you, and he wouldn’t have knocked you up. We woulda killed him and moved on with our damn li-“
“Or he would have fought us both off, killed you, and fucked me while your body was still warm,” Patricia muttered, frowning and opening her eyes. Kitty paused and frowned, glancing at her with shifty eyes. “Deny it all you want, Kitty. You know it’s the truth,” Patricia sighed and lifted her orange juice from the counter to her lips, taking a sip. Kitty frowned hard at her for another moment before huffing and running a hand through her hair again, “Yeah, yeah I do. Doesn’t make me like how it’s all turned out though.” She turned a suddenly saddened gaze to Patricia. “I’m sorry,” she whispered in a broken voice, tears forming in Her eyes. Patricia swallowed hard around the lump that finally formed in her throat, tears forming in her own eyes, “Kitty, don’t. . .”
Everytime Kitty let her vulnerability show it led to Patricia wanting to take on her pain, if only to relieve her friend of hers. And after all that had happened in the past few days, she didn’t know if she could take on Kitty’s sorrow and remain standing. . . or sane. Kitty sighed and shook her head, walking quickly around the counter to wrap her arms firmly around Patricia from behind. Patricia closed her eyes and clung to her friend’s arms around her chest and stomach, shuddering as Kitty pressed one cheek against her own, “I’ve been a shit friend for you, Trish. I always said I wouldn’t be and I have been. And now, you’re in a situation I can’t save you from. I said I’d never let you be in a situation like this, that I’d always be there for you. And now look what’s happened.”
“It’s not your fault,” Patricia whispered, opening her eyes and blinking ahead of herself, unable to look at the self-pitying look in Kitty’s, “My situation has been terrible for a while now, ever since Carter started taking advantage of me. And whilst many might have had a part in making it that way, I understand that the primary fault is my own. I let myself get here, and the only person I can truly blame for that is myself. So don’t blame yourself for what’s happened here, Kitty. Please, don’t.”
Kitty gave a hoarse laugh and shook her head, “You’ve always been such a goddamn martyr. It’ll be the death of you, Trish.” Patricia chuckled, gripping her friend tighter, “Maybe with you at my side, it doesn’t have to be.” Kitty sighed and squeezed her one more time before slowly easing her grip on her, “If you want me by your side, you’ve got me,” she muttered, “I hate bowing to some monster’s wishes, but being there for you? And your kids? That urge will come to me without a second thought. . . just don’t let that asshole jerk you around too much. I’m always just a phone call or drive away, you hear me?”
Patricia smiled and turned to her, gazing at the fire that had somewhat re-ignited in her friend’s eyes as her arms remained looped around her, “I hear you. And I’ll hold you to it.” Kitty chuckled, “You better.” With that she leaned in and pressed her forehead to Patricia’s, blinking at her, “You think you can do this, right? You’re sure you can handle it?” “At this point I’m not sure of anything, really. But I’ll try,” Patricia sighed. Kitty sighed, her nicotine scented breath brushing over Patricia’s lips, “We shoulda just run off, just you and me. After he attacked Corey or even before. We shoulda just taken our kids and ran. You and I and our kids. . . we coulda made it. Far away from here and all the bull shit.” Patricia sighed and closed her eyes, bowing her head.
“I’m serious, Trish. I thought about it so many times. Every time I saw that you or your kids were unhappy, I thought about it. I thought, ‘Hell, we can’t take down Harris, but maybe we could get away from him. . .’ But then I’d always come up with some lame ass excuse not to. Like ‘No, that’s not the adult thing to do’. . . or ‘No, think about your kids and how they’d miss all their friends’. . .We shoulda done it, though. Remember when we’d lay outside on the grass when we were teens, and I’d tell you that the second we would graduate in high school we should hop in my car and just gun it for the state line? We shoulda done that too. . . then we wouldn’t have gotten bogged down in the bullshit that keeps people stuck to this town like flies in honey.” “Your firebird overheated after just a few miles,” Patricia chuckled, shaking her head, “It wouldn’t have made it far at all.” “Then we shoulda sold it for parts and used the money to buy bus tickets,” Kitty said firmly, “I always thought I would never wind up like these other sad fucks hanging around this place, unhappy but unwilling to do a goddamn thing about anything. And I always thought that I wouldn’t just get away by myself, and that I’d take you with me.”
Patricia sighed, “Kitty. . .” “I’m serious, Trish,” Kitty muttered, and the gravity in her tone made Patricia frown at her, noting how honest she was being. This wasn’t just wishful thinking. Kitty had really planned all of this out. “I had so much money saved up for us to run. And I had a plan. I shoulda acted on it, Trish. I shoulda gotten the both of us the hell outta here. I had it all planned for the night after graduation. I’d fucking marked all our stops on a goddamn road map. All the way to California. But then, life got in the way. You got pregnant, said you wanted to marry Carter, and I was like ‘Well, that’s that.’ You married Carter, I was your Maid-of-Honor, and I married Horse and you were the Maid-of-Honor in our courthouse wedding. But none of it should have gone down like that. I knew from the start you were too good for that bastard, and I should have taken you from him. Horse would have understood, or at least he would have gotten over it all eventually. Either that, or he would have come with us. Whether you were pregnant or not, we would have figured it all out. Where we were gonna live, how we were gonna take care of the baby. . . we would have figured it out. It woulda been me and you leading the way. Like it always should have been.”
Patricia sucked in a deep breath and was about to speak, before Kitty moved in quickly, as if she had to do it fast before she lost her gumption, and pressed her lips firmly against Patricia’s.
Patricia’s eyes widened but she didn’t pull away. Instead, as Kitty held her close, she melted into her friend’s arms. They’d experimented with kissing one another during their high school years multiple times, safely tucked away in Kitty’s bedroom and whenever they’d take a break from homework or talking about the latest trends or events. Back then Patricia had thought Kitty might have feelings for her. But they’d never taken it further and she’d written the thoughts off as simply theories. But this felt different from all those times.
This felt more REAL, more sincere. And dammit all to hell if Patricia wasn’t turned on by it. She didn’t think she really liked Kitty in that way, but she couldn’t help the moan that escaped her throat and made its way past Kitty’s lips as the woman’s tongue slid over hers and Kitty moved one hand up to her hair, gripping it firmly. What the hell was going on? Patricia should be pushing Kitty away, especially with her son in the other room. But as she held Kitty closer, she found herself wanting to take it further and unable to take control of her own sensual urges. What the hell had happened to her resolve? She was a grown woman, not some teenager. . . she should have better self control than this. . . had James somehow tapped into her libido like it was Patricia’s own Pandora’s Box, releasing what was caged in her for so long so that now she wanted any sexual intimacy, regardless of where it came from? Suddenly the collar around her neck warmed slightly, and Patricia could sense the irritation it radiated. Grunting she opened her eyes and gently pressed Kitty away, causing the other woman to release her lips.
A moment later a door to the kitchen opened. She darted her eyes to the two glass doors, seeing James standing there, frowning slightly but not appearing too on edge. Since Kitty was facing away from him, he locked eyes with Patricia and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “I’m sorry to interrupt ladies, but Horse says he’s waiting for you, Kitty. Something about needing to run by the store before the kids get home?” he drawled in a passive, nonaggressive tone, as if sensing the tension between the two women. As he spoke he pushed his hands in his pockets and leaned back on his heels.
Kitty frowned at Patricia, her jaw set firmly, and Patricia smiled weakly, smoothing her hands over Kitty’s shoulders, patting them a little, “Right, with school starting back tomorrow I’m sure you both have a lot to do, right? We can always talk later. . . maybe meet up at the local bookshop later this week? We can catch up on the next book for the book club.” “You both would probably need to meet there to get the new book we’ve decided upon for the club. I’ve already contacted plenty of people to get the word out. We’re switching over to The Heart of Darkness . I felt that that might be more stimulating to talk about than whatever dredge had already been set as the next book to cover in this month’s meeting,” James said, and Patricia moved her eyes to his, noting how he was smiling at her. “Whilst I happen to know you already have the book upstairs, Patricia, I’d imagine Kitty might need to acquire a copy,” he murmured.
She felt a blush warming her cheeks and smiled back at him, feeling that her already having it was precisely the reason why he’d “suggested” the book to the other men upstairs. “I actually do have a copy myself, but I may need to review it. We can meet to discuss it further on Friday at the bookshop, Patricia? At 11:00 am?” Kitty said in a dry tone that clearly let James know he was being more irritating than helpful in her opinion. “Sounds perfect,” Patricia and James replied at the same time. Patricia frowned as their eyes locked over Kitty’s shoulder. It was eerie how in unison they were.
Kitty chuckled and rolled her eyes, moving away from Patricia and patting her on the back, “Already talking in unison, huh? Got that puppy love that bad, I see . . .” Patricia smiled weakly at her, “I wouldn’t put it that way.” “Neither would I,” James said, crossing his arms as Kitty turned to him. She straightened her back and gave him a challenging look even as a smile graced her features, “I’d hope not. I’d hate to think either of you were going soft on me. . . at this phase, hardness is DEFINITELY your friend, Harris. When it comes to Patricia, anyway.” Turning her head, she smiled at Patricia, “I’ll be in touch, but call me if you need me, Trish. No time’s too late or too early, okay?” Patricia smiled at her and nodded, “I will. And I’ll look forward to Friday, okay?”
Kitty smiled and nodded, “Me too. . .” Turning she strutted towards Harris, passing him with a firm nod, “Harris. . .” “Kitty,” James said with a slight bow, stepping to the side and turning his head as she continued through the living room, ruffling Blue’s head and making him grimace slightly but look up at her as she cupped his cheek, stroking it gently in passing as she asked him to look after his mom for her. Instantly Blue took on a serious look and he nodded. Patricia could tell that the two were forming some sort of protective contract over her before Kitty passed the couch and through the doorway into the foyer, waving her goodbyes to them all over her shoulder. The next instant, the front door to the house had opened and closed behind her. She was gone. James blinked and turned to Patricia as Blue returned to his book, “Well, that was . . . INTERESTING. I wasn’t aware that Kitty had such strong feelings for you.”
“Neither was I. Well, I had an idea of it when we were little, but back then I thought it was just something that would pass with time,” Patricia sighed, gazing after her friend with a bit of longing tugging at the corner of her lips, before she turned her gaze quickly to James, “You’re not. . . mad, are you? I felt the collar heat up a little. . .” she reached up and tugged at it. James frowned at her before smiling and moving closer, moving his hand out to fix some of her hair that had become disheveled in the kiss, gazing at her blonde strands with a fond look on his face, “Not mad, per se. Although I MUST admit I felt a little. . . irritated. . . seeing someone else kissing you. . . I suppose the collar might have picked up on that.” Patricia rolled her eyes and smirked at him before standing, gazing up into his green eyes, “What is this new side of you? Worried someone’s moving in to take me away from you, Mr. Harris?” James chuckled, as if she’d made a joke, “Not at all, Pat.”
With that he drew her in for a firm kiss, pressing his lips insistently against hers as he cradled her face. She chuckled in response before melting against him, wrapping her hands around the back of his neck and pressing herself against his front, closing her eyes as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. After a few moments of them kissing one another he pulled away, his lips a mere half an inch from hers, his eyes gazing intently into her flushed face, her gaze one of longing. Once again, Harris had managed to take her breath away and leave her wanting more.
“After all, I have nothing to worry about regarding that, do I?” he purred softly against her lips. Patricia couldn’t help but smirk back, “If you keep satisfying me like that, then no. If you start half-assing things though, I may need to start looking elsewhere for my pleasure. . .” Jame smirked at her, eyes twinkling dangerously, “Well then by all means Pat, let me know if any opportunities for improvement come to mind.” “I might have a few ideas down the road,” she chuckled back, “If they come to mind, I’ll let you know.” “When that time comes, consider me intrigued,” he said, drawing out the long word in a seductive, husky tone before moving back in, no doubt ready to continue kissing her. “If you both can stop sucking face, how about we figure out how I’m gonna be dropped off at school tomorrow?” Blue drawled, bringing their moment to an abrupt halt as he walked into the kitchen, his sneakers smacking loudly against the tile floor as he swung the refrigerator open and pulled out the lemonade pitcher. Turning around, he set it on the island’s counter before searching for a drinking glass in the cabinets.
James paused for a moment, his lips curled as if irritated that they’d been interrupted, then smiled smoothly and turned to Blue, “I think we can make some time for that. Also, we can go ahead and discuss how you want your new room designed, if you’re up for that?” Blue poured some lemonade in his chosen glass, glancing up at James and giving him a cold look that the Prowler returned, the both of them with jaws set firmly, “Sure, sounds great.” Patricia couldn’t help but reach out and grasp her orange juice, shaking her head with a cautious smile on her face.
Well, at least the two weren’t completely at each other’s throats. . . As James headed upstairs for a blueprint sheet for them to use for planning Blue’s room and Blue made his way to sit beside Patricia, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander back to her kiss with Kitty. It had come out of seeminglu nowhere, and felt so different from the ones they’d playfully shared as teenagers. “So, your talk with the other women. It went well? They’re gonna ‘play along’?” Blue asked, looking at Patricia out of the corner of his eye. She frowned at Blue for a moment before smiling and reaching out, smoothing her hand over his hair, fixing it from where Kitty had ruffled it, “It went as well as could be expected. Mrs. Greene and Mary Ellen both seem pretty on board with everything. . . Kitty had more of an issue with it, however . . . But I think she’s willing to stand by me through all of this, if nothing else. . .”
Blue frowned and nodded, setting his half empty glass back down on the counter, “That’s good, then. Seems like she’s one of the only women in this town who has some sense about her. . . At least Kitty isn’t blinded by Harris’s money and influence to the point of thinking this is a great idea. . .” Patricia frowned and opened her mouth to respond.
At that moment, James walked firmly back into the kitchen, two sketching pencils behind his right ear and a large blue print sheet held in his hands, “Alright, Blue, let’s get started on designing your room, shall we? And as for you getting to school tomorrow, Patricia and I will drop you off before heading to Charleston to run some errands. We can pick up breakfast from McDonald’s on the way, go run our errands after dropping you off, pick up Corey on the way back, and pick you up right on time when school let’s out.”
“Can’t wait,” Blue drawled. If James sensed his sarcasm he didn’t let it show as he smiled and laid the sheet out before him “Good. Then things should run relatively smoothly.” As Ragtag walked into the kitchen and placed his head on Patricia’s lap with a soft whine she chuckled, stroking his head and turning to Blue and Harris who were already leaning over the sheet. Despite Blue’s clear animosity with the Prowler, she could tell that her son was excited about designing his own space.
“If you two don’t mind, I’ll take Ragtag out to the back yard for some exercise,” she spoke softly. “Uh huh, that’s fine,” Blue remarked, watching as Harris took one pencil and began outlining the attic space for him. From the tone in her son’s voice she could tell he was already invested in what was going to be sketched out. She smiled, rubbed his back comfortingly, and slid off of her barstool. Patting her leg, she grinned at Ragtag as the two quickly moved to the back door.