Page 51 of Outlaw Xmas
Deke scoffed. “Of course you’d think that way. Aren’t you in that outlaw gang?”
Bristling, Chas clenched his hands. “It doesn’t matter who and what I am. Your son’s nothing but a damn bully. He’s been picking on my kid, and now he’s fuckin’ eating crow because his ass got beat.”
“Mr. Vickers! We don’t allow language like that at the school.” Blotches of red had crept onto the principal’s face, especially around her chin and cheeks, and her brown eyes flashed.
“They’re just words, lady.” He stood up. “I gotta get going.”
“We’re not finished,” Mrs. D’Angelo said.
“I am, and so is Jack.”
Deke shook his head at the principal and threw her a knowing smile.
Chas glared at the prick. “Instead of thinking you’re better than everyone because you wear a suit, I’d deal with your kid and figure out why he’s picking on younger kids.”
“There’s nothing wrong with Owen.”
Chas looked at the principal. “Jack’s been going to school here for the last seven years. Have you ever had a problem with him?”
She splayed her hands out on the desk. “No, I haven’t. That’s why I was so surprised by all this.”
“Then you should’ve figured something was up. Jack told you what the deal was.”
“You’re right, but fighting still isn’t allowed at school. I’m going to have to suspend both boys for it.”
Deke jumped to his feet. “This is outrageous! Owen didn’t do anything. This boy attacked him.”
“Mr. Price, I’m not sure who did what. The fact is both boys were fighting, so they’ll be suspended for two days.”
“Works for me,” Chas said as he motioned Jack to get up.
“The suspension will start now. Hopefully both Owen and Jack will learn from this and think twice before fighting.”
Chas nodded, put his hand on Jack’s shoulder, and walked out of the school. When they got to the car, Chas turned to Jack and winked. “You got a couple days free. Wanna grab some food at Ruthie’s?”
“Mom’s gonna be real mad at me.”
“I don’t think so. I kind of softened her up last night.” Memories of Addie’s legs spread wide and his tongue buried inside her pussy reeled through his mind. “Let’s get some breakfast.”
The snow covered both of them as they walked through the parking lot. A bell chimed when Chas opened the diner’s door and heat surrounded them, warming their cold bodies.
As they ate steak, eggs, and hash browns, Chas saw his ex-wife near the cash register, staring at him.What the fuck’s she doing back in Pinewood Springs?She waved at him, then started walking over to their booth.Shit.
“Hi, Chas. And Jack. How are you guys doing? You don’t mind if I sit for a few,” she said as she scooted in next to Jack.
The cheerful look on Jack’s face switched to a stoic one and he moved stiffly as he made room for her to sit down.
“Why’re you here, Brianna?” Chas asked.
“That’s the first thing you ask me after all these years? Don’t you want to know how I’ve been doing?” She put her arm around Jack. “What about you, baby? Do you want to know how your mama’s been?”
Jack shrugged off her arm and stared down at his plate.
“Fuckin’ cool it. I know you too well. Why the hell are you here?” Chas glared at her.
“My mom’s real sick. They don’t think she’s going to make it.” She brushed her finger over her cheek.
He liked his ex-mother-in-law; she was a genuinely nice person. In all the years that he and Brianna had been married, he’d tried to figure out how such a good person could have had such a mean and conniving bitch for a daughter. He’d thought it must’ve come from Brianna’s dad. He’d heard the man was one cruel sonofabitch, but he’d run off years before Chas and Brianna had met.
