“My brother is deaf,” I say. She nods, taking in my tattoos and my piercings, which I couldn’t even get back in after I got out of jail. I had to get re-pierced last night, and they’re still sore. At least I don’t feel naked anymore. “I didn’t mean to insult your son,” I say. Now I feel bad.
“Karl’s only limitations are that he’s in a body that doesn’t do what he wants it to do, and that he can’t speak.” She looks at him across the clearing, her eyes full of love for her son. And exhaustion. “He still has all the desires and urges of a fifteen-year-old boy. There are just some things he can’t do.” She heaves a sigh. “He gets frustrated easily. That’s the hardest thing for him. His mind is sound, and his body just won’t cooperate.”
I nod. I know what it feels like to be out of control. “Why don’t you take a break for a half hour or so?” I say. “I’ll go hang with Karl.”
Her eyes widen, and she looks so excited that I wish I’d made the offer as soon as they arrived. “Really?” she asks.
I nod. “Have fun. I’ll take care of him.”
Tears fill her eyes, and I realize how much this woman desperately needs a break.
“I’ll see you in thirty,” I say.
She nods and walks toward her cabin. She’s tired, and I can tell.
I walk to the campfire. The sun has just barely set, and there are only a few kids out here. “Hey, Gonzo,” I say to Karl. He turns around and looks at me, his grin big and goofy and so f**king adorable that I already love this kid. “You giving Reagan a hard time?” I drop down to sit on a log that rims the fire.
She’s really pretty, he signs. He looks up at her, blinking his blue eyes, his face tilted toward hers. She smiles at him.
“What did he say?” she asks.
“He says you’re really pretty,” I translate.
He throws up his hands in protest. You’re not supposed to tell her!
Sorry, dude, I sign back, trying not to grin. If you’re going to talk about her, I’m going to have to tell her what you say. I grab his shoulder and squeeze. This is a rule my brothers came up with, and we always stand by it. You don’t get to use sign language to talk about people. It’s for communication. So, unless you want her to know it, you better keep it to yourself.
Traitor, he signs. But he’s grinning.
Reagan blushes, but she says, “Thank you, Karl. I think you’re kind of cute, too.”
I’ve never seen a kid grin quite so big. She looks down at him. “Do you want to go with me to find some sticks for the fire?”
He nods, and he’s already moving before she’s even ready to go.
“You think we should bring your mouthpiece?” she asks, nodding her head toward me.
He signs to me. I got this. You stay here. He waggles his eyebrows at me.
Not a chance, dumbass, I say back. He laughs. It’s the first sound I’ve heard him make. She’s too old for you.
Maybe she likes younger men.
I look around like I’ve lost something. I don’t see any other men here. I see a pretty lady and a boy who’s hoping to get some action.
He grins and nods.
I laugh. She’s too old for you. So lay off. We’ll find you a different one. One more your speed.
My speed is faster than you think.
Apparently.
She turns back from where she’s been walking in front of us. “Are you talking about my ass?” she asks. She doesn’t even crack a smile.
Gonzo points to me as if to say, “He was.”
She laughs and blushes again.
Traitor, I sign when she turns back around.
He laughs, jumping in his chair a little.
Now all I can do is stare at her ass. She’s cute. Like a fairy princess walking in the woods, picking up sticks. When her arms are full, she looks at Gonzo and says, “Can you be my hero and carry these back?”
He nods and lets her fill his lap up with sticks. He turns to take them to the fire and leaves us standing there, gathering more of them. “Hurry back,” I call to him. He turns back and signs, Hands off my girl.
I hold my hands out to the side and then give him a thumbs-up.
She turns to me and extends her hand. “I’m Reagan.”
She doesn’t remember me. Should I even remind her? She probably works hard on a daily basis to forget that night.
I take her hand in mine and heat shoots straight through me. And it’s not because it’s been two years since I’ve had a woman in my arms. There’s something about this girl. She jerks her hand back and looks into my eyes. I want to ask her if she felt that. She wipes her hands on her jeans, and I realize she was just pulling back because my hands are sweaty. I’m an idiot.
“Pete,” I say.
“Why do you call him Gonzo?” she asks.
“Why not?” I continue to pick up sticks.
“He’s a sweet boy,” she says.
“He’s a hormone on wheels,” I correct.
She laughs. “At least you see him as a normal young man. Most people see the chair.” She shakes her head and looks up at me. I feel like she’s looking directly into my soul. “What makes you different?” she asks.
You mean aside from my tats, piercings, and the fact that I came from prison? I shrug. I look in his direction. He’s already on his way back. “I just see a boy who wants to be treated like one.” I call to him when he gets close. “Hey Gonzo,” I say. “Can you take some more?” He grins and nods. We load him up, and he leaves again. I turn to her. “So, what makes you different, Reagan?” I ask. I want to touch her, but I don’t dare. So, I just look at her instead. I watch her lips and wait for her to explain the meaning of life to me.