Chapter Four

      Quincy woke up at seven. He was usually up earlier, but after the long day yesterday, this morning he was dragging. He headed for the kitchen to put coffee on and then he showered and changed clothes for the day. Sipping his coffee, he walked into the living room and noticed Elias was still on the sofa sound asleep, a box of Cheez-It crackers in the crook of his arm, an empty beer bottle on the coffee table.

      Grandpa stomped into the kitchen in his boots, boxer shorts and a hat, no shirt, no jeans.

      “Did you forget something?” Quincy asked.

      “I want coffee. I have a headache.”

      Quincy went back into the kitchen and poured a cup for his grandpa and set it on the table. “You got drunk last night.”

      Grandpa’s shaggy eyebrows knotted together beneath the rim of his hat. “I don’t remember drinking anything but punch.” He sat at the table and cradled the cup with both hands and Quincy noticed they shook a little. That bothered him. Grandpa was getting older. Quincy knew that, but at times it was hard to see and to admit when he wanted his grandpa to be the same strong figure he’d always been.

      “Phoenix spiked the punch.”

      “What? Wait till I get my hands on him.”

      “You’ll have to get in line. Falcon, Jude and Mom are on him at the moment because Eden and Zane got drunk, too.”

      “Is that boy ever gonna grow up?”

      “We can only hope.”

      Grandpa got to his feet and stomped toward the living room with the cup in his hands. “I’m gonna sit in my chair and vegetate today. Did you feed Mutt?”

      “No, but I will.”

      Grandpa eased into his chair and stared at Elias. “What happened to him?”

      Quincy shrugged. “Elias being Elias.”

      Grandpa nodded, finished his coffee and leaned back in his chair. In a few minutes, he was sound asleep again.

      Quincy let Mutt into the house and fed him, putting a pill in with his food to help ease some of his arthritic pain. He left Grandpa and Elias sleeping and went to the big house to help his mom.

      He found Phoenix and their mom in the kitchen. Phoenix had on rubber kitchen gloves up to his elbows.

      “What are you doing?” Quincy asked.

      “Cleaning the bathrooms.” Phoenix scowled.

      “Someone vomited on the deck. You can clean that up next,” their mother told him. “And as soon as Zane gets up you can clean his bathroom.”

      “Mom,” Phoenix wailed like a little boy.

      Kate turned from the sink. “Did you say something?”

      “No, ma’am.”

      The back door opened and Phoenix immediately ran for the living room. “If that’s Falcon, you haven’t seen me.”

      Falcon walked in a few seconds later. “Where’s Phoenix?”

      “Why do you ask?” their mother wanted to know.

      “Eden was sick again when we got home and Leah was really upset. How can he be so irresponsible?”

      “I will take care of Phoenix, son.” His mother had that tone in her voice they all knew well. The voice that said she was protecting her sons with everything in her, even from each other.

      Falcon took a deep breath, his broad chest expanding. “I’m sorry I hit Paxton last night. Leah is upset about that, too. I shouldn’t have used violence. That’s not an example I want my kids to see.”

      “Thank you, son. I had a long talk with Paxton last night and he apologized and I forgave him. I’ll work this out with Paxton and Phoenix. That’s all that needs to be said.”

      They all knew their mother held the power, and though they respected that, there were times it was confining. Quincy was just glad everyone was thinking clearly this morning.

      “I have to get back to the house,” Falcon said. “Leah was up with Eden last night and I’m on baby duty this morning. You have to come over and see John, Mom. He’s becoming more alert every day and he’s very attached to his mother. His eyes follow her wherever she goes.”

      “Don’t you worry, I’ll be over later to play with my grandson.”

      Falcon walked out, but Quincy knew his acquiescence wasn’t that easy. Phoenix still wasn’t off the hook. His older brother would have his say one way or the other.

      “Where’s Paxton?” Quincy asked.

      His mom stacked dishes into the dishwasher. “We had a long talk this morning and he went over to apologize to Jenny.”

      Quincy handed his mom coffee cups from the table, his heart beating a little faster at the mention of Jenny. He hated that, but he couldn’t control it.

      Egan and Rachel came in and they continued to clean up. Rachel went upstairs to check on Zane. Since she was a teacher and going to the school anyway, she picked up Zane every morning. She’d grown attached to the boy.

      Phoenix came in, rubbing his shoulder. “Rachel hit me.”

      Egan laughed. “Rachel’s the least of your worries. Wait till Falcon and Jude get hold of you.”

      “I’ve already spoken to Falcon and made it clear that there is to be no more hitting.” Their mother made her opinion clear. “I will take care of Phoenix and Paxton.”

      “Yes, ma’am.” Egan lifted an eyebrow at Quincy and he just nodded. She wanted the matter dropped, and her sons would do just that in her presence. But later was anybody’s guess.

      As Quincy continued to work, he wondered how things were going with Jenny and Paxton. She’d been extremely upset last night and he hoped they could forgive and part as friends. Why he hoped that, he had no idea. He just didn’t want Jenny to be hurt any more than she was.

      * * *

      JENNY WOKE UP to pounding, and it was in her head. Loud and painful. Crap. She rolled over and pushed hair out of her eyes. What had she done? Getting drunk solved nothing.

      Crawling out of bed, she grabbed her head to stop the pain. It didn’t work. Staggering out the door, she met Lindsay in the hallway. She’d been called in to the hospital with a nursing problem last night.

      “You’re home,” Jenny muttered.

      Lindsay’s mouth fell open.

      “What? I know I look like hell. Right?”

      “Go into the bathroom and look in the mirror.”

      “I don’t need to see myself.”

      “Yes, you do.” Lindsay pushed her into the bathroom and Jenny stared at the wild-looking woman in the mirror. Her hair looked like a rat’s nest.

      “What did you do last night?”

      “Uh...” The embarrassing confrontation at the party came rushing back, as did the pounding.

      “Not to throw you into a tizzy or anything, but Paxton’s waiting to talk to you in the kitchen.”

      She swung around. “Tell him I don’t want to see him.”

      Lindsay eyed her sister, and Jenny hated it when she did that. “Don’t you think it would be best to end this the right way?”

      “And