go to only strip joints!” Uncle Lance called out as he headed for the steps to the porch.
“ Why did I even ask you to check on her? I should have known you would do something stupid!” My father yelled as he threw his hands in the air.
My uncle took the steps to the porch two at a time and walked up to his brother.
“ Dallas has had dinner waiting for over an hour, Nicci,” my father called out to me while trying to ignore his brother.
Uncle Lance grinned and clapped his hands together. “Great. What has the master chef prepared for us tonight?”
My father rolled his eyes and walked toward the front door to his home. “You’re not having a damn thing.” My father paused and turned to his brother. “Why on earth would Val trust you not to burn her house down while she’s away on her cruise?” My father grumbled as he headed into the house with my uncle following close behind.
“ Hey, just because I started that fire in the basement when I was ten, doesn’t mean I’m not responsible, Billy.”
“ That’s exactly what it means. And stop calling me Billy! I swear I’ve met earth worms that have more brain cells than you!”
“ Who needs brain cells when I’ve got you, Billy?” Uncle Lance said as the two men walked further into the house. “Ellen used to always say you were the smart one.”
“ Lance, don’t throw Ellen at me again. Why do you always have to bring her up? Can’t we have one conversation where you don’t bring up my wife,” my father argued and then he shut the front door behind them, muffling the rest of their bickering.
I stayed out on the drive and waited for the yelling back and forth to grow fainter as the two men moved deeper into house. I smiled to myself as I reflected back over the years of arguments and shouting festivals that I had endured between my father and uncle. I would always feel some sense of comfort from the sibling banter because I knew as long as they were trading insults with each other they still cared for one another.
“ Don’t ever do that again,” Dallas scolded beside me. “This isn’t like you, Nicci. You have never just gone off and not told anyone where you’re going. What in the hell is the matter with you?”
As I searched his dark blue eyes, I realized that my uncle might have been right about me. I had been comparing every man I had met to David. I wondered at that moment if Dallas’s love would ever be enough to fill the void that David’s death had left inside of me. It seemed no one had ever made me feel the way David had. His smile had warmed me all over like the sun rising inside of my soul. Would any man ever be charming enough, funny enough, or just enough?
I turned away, avoiding Dallas’s condescending gaze. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I should have called you.”
I peered down the long shell drive to my childhood home as the sun slowly crept below the pale pink horizon. I was suddenly gripped by a memory of David. He was sitting in his red Jeep, on that same driveway, as the sun rose behind him. He had just brought me home after painting his first portrait of me. It was the same night he had first kissed me. A twinge of sorrow tugged at my heart as my mind grappled with my uncle’s words from earlier in the day. If David was alive, then why had he not come back to me?
“ Nicci?” Dallas grabbed my hand, pulling me away from my thoughts. “Are you coming?”
I smiled up at him. “Yes, Dallas. I’m with you.”
***
Uncle Lance ended up talking my father into letting him stay for dinner. Dallas had prepared a gourmet feast of grilled Gulf red snapper, green salad with Remoulade dressing, and homemade French bread. I noticed during dinner that Dallas only picked at his food and, instead of eating, kept downing Stolichnaya and sodas. After Uncle Lance had headed home, and my father had retreated to his office, Dallas and I settled into my bedroom for the night.
“ I swear if we keep hanging around your
“ Why did I even ask you to check on her? I should have known you would do something stupid!” My father yelled as he threw his hands in the air.
My uncle took the steps to the porch two at a time and walked up to his brother.
“ Dallas has had dinner waiting for over an hour, Nicci,” my father called out to me while trying to ignore his brother.
Uncle Lance grinned and clapped his hands together. “Great. What has the master chef prepared for us tonight?”
My father rolled his eyes and walked toward the front door to his home. “You’re not having a damn thing.” My father paused and turned to his brother. “Why on earth would Val trust you not to burn her house down while she’s away on her cruise?” My father grumbled as he headed into the house with my uncle following close behind.
“ Hey, just because I started that fire in the basement when I was ten, doesn’t mean I’m not responsible, Billy.”
“ That’s exactly what it means. And stop calling me Billy! I swear I’ve met earth worms that have more brain cells than you!”
“ Who needs brain cells when I’ve got you, Billy?” Uncle Lance said as the two men walked further into the house. “Ellen used to always say you were the smart one.”
“ Lance, don’t throw Ellen at me again. Why do you always have to bring her up? Can’t we have one conversation where you don’t bring up my wife,” my father argued and then he shut the front door behind them, muffling the rest of their bickering.
I stayed out on the drive and waited for the yelling back and forth to grow fainter as the two men moved deeper into house. I smiled to myself as I reflected back over the years of arguments and shouting festivals that I had endured between my father and uncle. I would always feel some sense of comfort from the sibling banter because I knew as long as they were trading insults with each other they still cared for one another.
“ Don’t ever do that again,” Dallas scolded beside me. “This isn’t like you, Nicci. You have never just gone off and not told anyone where you’re going. What in the hell is the matter with you?”
As I searched his dark blue eyes, I realized that my uncle might have been right about me. I had been comparing every man I had met to David. I wondered at that moment if Dallas’s love would ever be enough to fill the void that David’s death had left inside of me. It seemed no one had ever made me feel the way David had. His smile had warmed me all over like the sun rising inside of my soul. Would any man ever be charming enough, funny enough, or just enough?
I turned away, avoiding Dallas’s condescending gaze. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I should have called you.”
I peered down the long shell drive to my childhood home as the sun slowly crept below the pale pink horizon. I was suddenly gripped by a memory of David. He was sitting in his red Jeep, on that same driveway, as the sun rose behind him. He had just brought me home after painting his first portrait of me. It was the same night he had first kissed me. A twinge of sorrow tugged at my heart as my mind grappled with my uncle’s words from earlier in the day. If David was alive, then why had he not come back to me?
“ Nicci?” Dallas grabbed my hand, pulling me away from my thoughts. “Are you coming?”
I smiled up at him. “Yes, Dallas. I’m with you.”
***
Uncle Lance ended up talking my father into letting him stay for dinner. Dallas had prepared a gourmet feast of grilled Gulf red snapper, green salad with Remoulade dressing, and homemade French bread. I noticed during dinner that Dallas only picked at his food and, instead of eating, kept downing Stolichnaya and sodas. After Uncle Lance had headed home, and my father had retreated to his office, Dallas and I settled into my bedroom for the night.
“ I swear if we keep hanging around your
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