Colorado 03 Lady Luck (39 page)

He wandered to the right bedroom where they
put her bedroom furniture from Dallas. Queen-size bed with feminine
sheets and comforter, white background with stark swirls of green
stems leading to big flowers of multiple shades of blue and pink.
Feminine but good taste. Pure Lexie. One nightstand with lamp. A
dresser. More prints on the wall. A guest room, where Ella slept,
now Julius’s black leather duffle was sitting on the floor by the
closet.

Then he wandered to the other bedroom. She
still had some boxes piled against the wall but she’d made this her
room. A big table with plastic, multi-drawered organizers on top
and baskets filled with craft shit. Some shelves with more craft
stuff. A sewing machine with a chair in front of it. An armchair in
the corner with a standing lamp beside it where she could work
comfortably. Surprised the fuck out of him but his wife was
craftsy. It wasn’t just the petals in the window. She got that
sewing machine set up straight off and, even with her girls there,
when he was at work one day, he came home and they had huge, new
toss pillows on the couch. He liked them, the fabric was nice but
they were comfortable as all hell and there were a shitload of them
he could shove behind him when he was watching a game.

He walked out and down the stairs, seeing
Tuku’s pen and ink on the wall as he moved. The thick, matte black
frame was the shit, the work was huge, he’d only had a segment of
it inked on his body because he’d need four bodies his size to get
it all on. It was good to see it displayed again, every time his
eyes caught it, and it was hard to miss, it reminded him of Tuku,
good memories. He’d been stunned when Lexie took him to the frame
shop, felt that thing pierce the left side of his chest, sharper,
the pain passing exquisite to be something he didn’t know, never
experienced, but he knew he’d never forget that feeling or that
moment, not in his life.

All this had hit him when it happened, Lexie
making his house their home, never knowing when he walked in what
would be added, what she’d give him next but it hit him differently
this time with his brother there, seeing through Julius’s eyes his
house, his life, the flowered sheets he’d sleep on in the guest
room.

His wife.

And when it hit him then, something settled
in Walker. Settled deep. Something weighty but not heavy. Something
warm. Something welcome.

This was on his mind as he took a swallow of
his drink, hit the bottom of the stairs and turned to see Lexie at
the stove, Julius at a stool at the island, both of them talking
with relaxed faces, Julius already at home because Lexie made him
feel that way. A huge man. A huge black man. A huge, black ex-con,
at home, relaxed, welcome because Lexie made him feel that way.

Her eyes came to him then her head turned to
him.

“Go, commune with your brother.” She jerked
her head to the front deck. “I’ll finish this and we’ll eat at the
outside table.”

“You kickin’ me out, baby doll?” Julius
asked and Lexie twisted to grin at him.

“I’m giving you time with Ty so you can talk
about how great my ass is,” she returned, Julius chuckled and
Walker moved to his wife.

He bent to kiss her hair and muttered,
“Legs, Lex, your ass is fine but you got fuckin’ great legs. So
long, wrap around my back twice.”

She tipped her head way back and caught his
eyes then leaned around him so she could roll hers at Julius.

His friend chuckled again.

Walker turned away from his woman and looked
to Julius. Then he motioned outside with his head before he moved
that way, Julius shifting off the stool and following.

They settled at the railing beside one of
Lexie’s flourishing pots of flowers.

“Good to see you, brother,” Walker
whispered.

“Good to be seen,” Julius whispered
back.

“All good?” Walker asked.

“Yeah. My bitches, though, all over me. I’m
here to get a break. Got out, all three of them fell on my dick.
They nearly killed me.”

This was bullshit. By Julius’s reports, all
three gave superior head and one of them had awesome command of her
kegel muscles. He’d served a nickel too and was just as ready as
Walker to get himself some, and by some Walker meant as much as
Julius could get.

No, Julius was here because he was checking
on things that couldn’t be checked on over the phone, not to
Julius’s satisfaction.

Walker didn’t call him on it. Instead, he
finished his drink, twisted and set the cup on the railing away
from him.

When he turned back, Julius was looking into
the house. He felt Walker’s eyes and he looked to him.

“Okay, Walk…” he paused then said slow,
“shee-it. What the fuck?”

Walker felt his lips twitch.

Then he told him, “Walked outta that hole
straight to a miracle.”

“You can say that again, my man, fuck me.
Believe in God but only ‘bout two hours ago met my first angel
walkin’ on earth.”

“Lexie’s a lot of things, all of them good
but don’t think God makes angels like that.”

Julius’s midnight face split into a huge,
white smile.

“I like that,” he muttered.

“So do I. Wildcat,” Walker replied and
Julius’s smile got bigger.

Then some of the white died before he
remarked, “Good for you. Happy for you. You deserve a miracle.”

Walker didn’t respond.

Julius made an accurate guess. “This ain’t
play.”

Walker shook his head.

Julius went on. “How long did it take you to
maneuver that?”

“Too long, over a week.”

Julius blinked. “That it?”

“Felt like fifty years.”

Julius threw his head back and boomed with
laughter. Walker grinned at him while he did.

Then, still chuckling, he caught Walker’s
eyes. “Pretty pussy, sweet pussy, classy pussy like that, ex-con,
took you a week. Fuck me. I can work it, brother, but even me, it’d
take at least a month.”

Walker didn’t reply.

Julius’s gaze went intense. “How real is
this?”

“Real,” Walker answered firmly and Julius
tipped up his chin.

“
Real for her. That bitch in there is
livin’ the dream. I knocked on the door, fuckin’
me
, big black
man, her a white woman in a sweet crib in the middle of fuckin’
nowhere in the goddamn mountains. She took one look at me when she
opened the door, knew exactly who I was and the bitch flipped.
Acted like I just got home from bein’ at war. She refused to call
you, wanted me to be a surprise. Even made me go out and move my
ride so you wouldn’t see it when you got home.”

No surprise. That was Lexie.

Julius carried on. “Spent two hours drinkin’
beer with her and listenin’ about all the shit you been doin’. She
made it sound like, you got home from the gym, you’d do it flyin’
through the air.”

No surprise with that either. That was also
Lexie. But it didn’t mean hearing that from Julius didn’t feel
really fucking good.

Julius studied him. Then he asked softly,
“It that real for you?”

“Look around, Champ, everything you see is
solid. How much more real can it get?”

Julius again studied him. Then he shook his
head.

Then he muttered, “Jesus, brother,” he
looked to the view and swallowed before he repeated a whispered,
“Jesus.”

This was not a surprise either. His friend
felt relief, overwhelmed by it. Julius had been worried. Walker’s
state of mind the day he left prison, anyone who gave a shit would
be. Julius walked out to three women, two children and a big
family, all of whom gave a shit, they did it before he went down
and they stuck by him while he did his time.

Walker walked in in chains for a crime he
didn’t commit and walked out to none of that and he walked out with
vengeance on his mind.

“I’m good, Champ,” Walker said quietly and
got his friend’s eyes.

“You let her in?”

Walker nodded.

“How far in?” Julius went on.

“She’s in,” Walker replied.

“How far?” Julius pushed.

“She’s in,” he repeated.

“How far?” Julius repeated too.

Walker didn’t speak.

“You know what I’m askin’ you, Walk,” Julius
told him and he did know.

“Her life has not been a fairytale either.
You’ve spent time with her, I told you, you’d be shocked as shit
what she’s been through. We’ve both got our demons. We’ve both
shared.”

“That woman takes one look at you, brother,
she’ll know you can wrestle her demons. You give her the
opportunity to do the same for you?”

Fuck. Not this shit again.

“It hasn’t been two months,” he evaded.

“You of all brothers know there is no
fuckin’ time like the present.”

This was true but he was done so he shared
because, as he knew, if he didn’t, Julius wouldn’t let up.

“She’s in,” he said low. “She knows what was
done to me. She was waitin’ for me outside of prison and we started
on a deal. She had bad shit in her life, under a piece of shit’s
thumb. I get her outta that, she gives me what I need. A week
later, I gave it all to her and gave her the choice to walk out the
door. She didn’t take it. She took my back. Her decision. Thirty K
in diamonds, fifty K in cash I was offerin’ her for the time she
spent with me and that time was just over a week. She didn’t take
that shot. She stayed then made a new deal. Deck furniture out of
her fifty K, the rest she donates to the cause. Is that in enough
for you?”

Instantly, Julius grinned.

Then he replied, “Yeah.”

“Thrilled, Champ,” Walker muttered, looking
to the view and suddenly needing a beer.

Julius chuckled.

Then he spoke again and Walker looked back
to him. “Now, a brief.”

“Only got so much good luck,” Walker
replied, saying it all in six words, Julius got it and Julius
nodded.

“Your brother fucked you,” he guessed
accurately, knowing the entirety of Walker’s plan, knowing his
first move was Dewey, having heard all about Dewey.

“Just found out tonight,” Walker
confirmed.

“Not unexpected,” Julius muttered, turning
his head to the view.

“Still fuckin’ frustrating,” Walker replied,
also looking at the view but shifting his body to it, bending and
resting on his crossed forearms on the railing.

“You know, got no contacts in Colorado,”
Julius stated, also shifting and assuming Walker’s position at the
railing. “That don’t mean I didn’t ask around when I got out.”

“You connect?” Walker asked quietly.

“Fuck yeah.”

“You mobilize?”

“Why you think I’m here?” Julius asked back.
“Had no idea the pretty face who’d keep me company and sure as fuck
didn’t haul my ass across three states to see your face.”

That was bullshit, so much of it, Walker had
to fight back a smile.

Then he nodded.

Then he asked, “How long you stayin’?”

“Long enough to network and get my ass back
before my parole officer knows I’m in Colorado.”

Walker nodded again and whispered,
“Grateful, man. Dewey fuckin’ me, need a new avenue.”

“Well you got it.”

Walker drew in breath and held it. Then he
let it go. He didn’t say anything and Julius didn’t expect him to
say anything. Julius wasn’t doing anything that Walker would not do
for Julius if he needed it. It was just that Walker needed it.

Still, that didn’t mean he wasn’t grateful.
He just didn’t have to say it.

Julius knew.

Time passed as they studied the
landscape.

Then Walker remarked, “Had an interesting
development tonight.”

“Yeah?”

He straightened and turned, hip to the
railing, eyes sliding into the house. Lexie was heading out to the
back deck carrying plates on top of which was cutlery. They were
close to dinner.

So he talked, low and swift as Julius
listened, eyes to the view, forearms to the railing, telling his
friend about Detective Angel Peña.

When he was done, he looked back into the
house to see Lexie filling serving plates. Family style. As big of
an event as she could make it without time to prepare. None of that
business of the men filling their plates from pots and skillets.
They were going to sit down and spend awhile, telling Julius, as
best she could, he was welcome company, his visit an event to
celebrate.

Pure Lexie.

Walker looked down at his leaning friend
noting the silence had lingered.

Then Julius ended it.

“
That
is
an
interesting development.”

“Yep.”

“You trust this guy?” Julius asked.

“Known him ten minutes, know he wants in my
wife’s pants and he wants that bad. Those two things are not
conducive to me trusting him.” He paused then went on, “Still, I
do.”

“Different,” Julius muttered. “Name clear.
Restitution.”

“Don’t give a shit about that.”

Julius turned his head and looked up at
Walker. “You should.”

“Doesn’t bring back five years.”

“No,” Julius agreed. “But the real you got
that’s solid and races to you practically the minute you get home,
presses close even though you’re still wet with sweat from the gym
like she don’t even notice, your name clear, restitution is a gift
for her. Gives back a little of what she’s givin’ you.”

“She didn’t do five years,” Walker
replied.

“No,” Julius again agreed and looked back to
the view.

“She’s with me on this, brother,” Walker
stated quietly.

“So am I,” Julius returned just as quietly.
“Whatever you do, I’m with you. You don’t wanna sit back and hope
this brown boy from Texas can make another miracle for you, I don’t
blame you. I’m just sayin’.”

“I hear you,” Walker whispered.

He’d just said the last word when they
heard, “All right boys, soup’s on,” and they both turned to see
Lexie standing in the opened door. “Give me drink orders and head
out to the back deck. Serve it up, it’s waiting.”