“So, you’re Jansen.”
“Last time I checked,” I respond, rubbing the side of my neck. The guy in front of me looks to be in his twenties. He looks a little familiar, but I don’t remember seeing him before. Obviously however, he knows me.
“I’m White.”
I frown for a minute, thinking he’s telling me the color of his skin. It’s not like that would be a great mystery. Then, it hits me.
“Ida Sue’s boy.”
“I don’t think anyone’s called me a boy in a long time… ‘cept maybe my coach.”
“When you get my age, that changes. You’re lucky I didn’t call you a kid.”
“I guess so. How do you like working on the ranch?” he asks, moving to stand beside me and imitating my stance by leaning toward the fence, his hands on the top of the pad that is over top the steel post that connects the chain link.
“It’s a job,” I answer. Wondering what this conversation is about.
“Green and the others really like you, Jansen.”
“I like them. They’re good kids.”
“What about, Mom? You like her too?”
“She’s a good woman.”
“She’s the best. That doesn’t really answer the question,” White says. I look out over the field where Green’s game is about to start. Wasn’t really expecting this would start my night. Then again, I kind of thought I would have seen Ida Sue before now and so far, she hasn’t shown up either.
“No offense, White, but what I feel or don’t feel for your mother is kind of between me and her.”
“Fair enough. I’m just letting you know Mom takes a lot of shit from people in Mason. There’s not a lot I can do about those close-minded idiots. But, I’m not about to let anyone else get away with it.”
“I can respect that. If it makes any difference, I think your mother is a hell of a woman.”
“It makes a difference—”
“White Hall Lucas. What in damnation do you think you’re doing?”
I lean my head down and hide my smile while I contain my laughter when I hear Ida Sue.
“Mom, I told you about that name—”
“I’d like to know what you think you’re doing talking to Jansen.”
“I’m just trying to look out for you, Mom,” White mutters and suddenly he sounds just like a little boy getting chastised by his mother.
“I ought to set your ears on fire. I’ve been taking care of myself for a damn long time.”
“You’re not alone anymore though, Mom. Gray and I are old enough to help now and—”
“And nothing—”
“Ida Sue, leave the boy alone.”
“The hell I will. Jansen you’ve had my kids—”
“Ida Sue, I’m telling you to leave it alone. I love your kids and I respect White for seeking me out.”
“You’re about as smart as a screen door on a submarine yourself, then.”
I laugh. I probably shouldn’t. What man would laugh when the woman he’s set his hat on insults him?
Apparently, I do.
“Lovey, you’re late, you’ve almost missed the start of the game.”
“I went over to Rick Mullins’s after I got off.”
“What did you go to that asshole’s for?” I growl. I’ve been in town long enough to know that Rick is the owner of the store, and the one I met when I first came into town. It still don’t sit well with me how he insulted Ida Sue and talked about her.
“I see you’ve met the dickhead,” White laughs.
Ida Sue slaps him on the back of the head instantly.
“Shit, Maw—”
She slaps him again.
“Keep going and I’ll keep hitting.”
“I’m done, I’m done,” White says grudgingly.
“The boy’s just telling the truth. He is a dickhead. Why did you go and see him?” I demand, not bothering to hide my frustration.
“He wants someone to clean his house.”
“Hell, no,” I growl at the same time White does.
“I don’t think I have to have permission from either of you.
“Damn, did Green and Cynthia break up?” White asks, with a long whistle, changing the subject abruptly.
“Yeah, he broke up with her a day or so ago. He’s been talking to—”
“I see who he’s talking to. Damn she’s a babe. Little brother has good taste. What’s her name?”
“Lord, White. That head injury you had the other day caused more damage than we knew,” Ida Sue mutters.
“It wasn’t a head injury. I just got the wind knocked out of me when I got tackled at practice,” he responds, not even bothering to look at his mom. “Seriously, who is that hot little piece?”
“Her name is jail bait, son. She’s just turning fifteen,” I remind him.
“She’s got curves that are much older. Green never dates girls younger than him, which means this girl could be seventeen. That makes her legal.”
“She’s dating your brother, son. And, she’s a good girl.”
“I like good girls, Jansen,” he grins. “I like them even more when they can be bad, too.”
“Son, that’s not a good way to think about a woman, any woman really. But that girl—”
“What Jansen’s trying to tell you, and you’re missing—seeing as how your tongue is watering the grass and you can’t pick it up off the ground—is that girl is way too young for you and it’s also Kayla,” Ida Sue interjects.
“Kayla who?” he asks, still looking at Green and Kayla talking.
“The Kayla who stays with your sisters?”
“Our Kayla?” White squawks.
“I think she might be Green’s now. Black said Green was going to ask her out.”
“Our Kayla?”
When Green leans down to give Kayla a kiss—admittedly a mostly chaste one, but it looks sweet—White growls under his breath.
“Green knows better than to play with Kayla. She’s a kid and had too many hard knocks,” he says walking away, not bothering to say goodbye.
“That going to be trouble?” I ask Ida Sue, figuring she’d know. I can’t help but wonder if White and Green will get into it over Green dating Kayla.
“I hope not, Kayla will be the first girl I actually don’t mind Green talking to. But honestly, who knows, life is never dull with my brood.”
“That’s true,” I murmur, watching as White walks up to his brother and slaps him hard—a little too hard—on his back and interrupts his private time with Kayla.
“I love my boys, but I swear, sometimes it’s like the porch light is on but nobody’s home, especially when it comes to girls.”
“Got it,” I tell her, finally understanding. “They’re young. Boys don’t exactly think with their brain at their age,” I tell her.
“You sound like you’re speaking from experience,” she laughs.
“Sadly, I am. I know you worry, but they’re good kids. They’ll figure things out eventually.”
“Probably, but Kayla will probably get hurt by Green in the meantime.”
“Now, that’d be a shame.”
“I agree.”
“What’s this about you going to work for that horse’s ass in town?” I ask, bringing the conversation back around.
I don’t care what I have to do, there’s no way Ida Sue will be working for that man.