Page 7 of Chains
He expected to see the Siberian run out from the brush, but the dog was nowhere to be seen. Chains pushed up to his feet and trekked through the thicket, whistling and calling Thor’s name. Then he heard a ringing bark in the distance, and he picked up his pace until he found Thor nestled between trees and surrounded by overgrown mountain laurel and thick vegetation. The dog’s ears pricked up while he chewed something in his mouth as his blue eyes fixed on Chains.
“What the fuck are you eating?” Chains’s gaze darted to several clusters of orange-yellow berries that covered a vine climbing up the trunk of the trees. “What the hell are those?” He stooped down and plucked a few berries and brought them to his nose. A rank, bitter odor invaded his nostrils, making his nose run and his eyes water. “Fuck, that’s nasty. Did you eat these?”
Thor barked then slowly trudged through the undergrowth.
“I don’t know what this shit is, but you gotta be careful what you eat, buddy.” Chains slipped the orange-yellow fruit into his pocket and made his way back to the car.
On the ride back, Chains kept looking over at Thor to make sure he was doing okay; the fact that the husky had probably eaten the berries concerned Chains.
His phone went off just as he pulled into the dirt lot in front of the clubhouse. When he saw his mother’s name on the screen, he gritted his teeth and swiped to answer.
“What’s up, Mom?”
“Nothing. I just haven’t heard from you in a long time. I was getting worried. Bret said he saw you and those guys you live with at Leroy’s a few days ago. How you can eat at that place is beyond me. When you were young, we never ate at diners. I always cooked good homemade meals and…”
Chains tuned his mother out and buried his hand in Thor’s fur, smiling when the dog looked over at him. He leaned over and opened the car door, and the husky bounded out and ran toward the club, barking excitedly.
“Are you listening to me?” Irritation laced his mother’s voice.
“Yeah. Did you call to chew me out about eating at the diner?” Chains slid out of the SUV.
“No, and I’m notchewingyou out. I think you need to find a nice girl to settle down with, get a house and stop living like you’re in a fraternity. Don’t you want to get married?”
“Been there—done that.”
“I told you Krystal wasn’t the right girl for you, but you didn’t listen. The minute I saw her with that low-cut top and heavy eye makeup, I knew she wouldn’t be faithful.”
“Let’s not get into all that. I’ve been divorced for six years—end of story.” Chains kicked at a stone as he walked toward the club. The last thing he wanted to talk about was that bitch and her cheating ways.
“If it’s the end of the story, then why aren’t you with a nice girl? You haven’t brought a woman home for Christmas since the divorce.”
“I’m not interested in going down that road again. Once was enough. Leave it alone, Mom.” He leaned against the stucco wall and took out a joint and lit it.
“Just because one of the apples was rotten in the basket doesn’t mean they all are. You have to move on.”
“I have. I’m kinda busy right now, so why did you call?”
“All right… go ahead—keep your head in the sand. It’s your life, but you’ll be sorry when you’re old and all alone.”
Chains inhaled deeply, then slowly blew out the smoke and watched it dance in the air before dissipating.
“You can be so stubborn. That’s always been your problem. I remember—”
“I gotta go,” he said.
“Wait. I wanted to let you know that I’m hosting a brunch for Bret and his fiancée.” A small pause. “You know, she’s got the oddest name. I mean who names their daughter—”
“Mom,” he prodded. “When’s the damn brunch?”
“There’s no reason to curse. Your brother really wants you to be there.”
Chains dropped the spent joint on the ground and stubbed it out with the tip of his boot. “I doubt that.Youwant me to be there.”
“That’s not true.”
“Mom, I’m hanging up, so just tell me the date and I’ll let you know in a couple of days if I can go.”
“It’s two weeks from this Sunday. It’s going to be real nice. Maybe you’ll like one of the bridesmaids. A few of them are very pretty and smart.”
