Page 79 of The Only Seconds that Matter
“I think your uncle is grumpy because he’s not drinking.”He wondered how much Taylor knew about Johnny’s alcoholism, but she seemed so perceptive about everything else, so there was no way she missed how much he drank.
“Last night at the rodeo we sat with that girl Daisy and her friend.Every time I tried talking they acted like I didn’t say anything and ignored me.I don’t want Johnny to hang out with them.I like it when he hangs out with you instead.You’re nice to me.”
“That’s—I mean, that’s great, Taylor, I’m glad you like it when we hang out.But Johnny’s love life is his business.”
“He’d be happier with you.”
“Taylor.”
“What?”She tossed the bridle aside and threw up her hands.“I’m just saying!”
“You are ten years old.I don’t think you understand how this stuff works.”
“I know how stuff works!My friend Emma told me her aunt is a lesbian.I know what that is.”
Victor pinched the bridge of his nose, because he didn’t feel like the proper person to have this conversation with her.At the same time, he couldn’t just ignore it.“So you know what gay people are?”
“Yeah.”Taylor jutted her chin out in defiance.“Sometimes my stepdad uses mean words about them and I wanna tell him he’s wrong but also I don’t want to get into trouble because I’m always in trouble.”
“What about your mom?What does she say?”
“She doesn’t say anything.She just ignores him.”
“Has Johnny told you anything?”
“No.”She paused.“Does this mean he’s gay?”
“No.It doesn’t mean anything.If you’re so curious, you should ask him yourself.”
“How cool would it be if you married Johnny?Then I could live at your house, and I could ride all your horses.”
“You want me to marry Johnny just so you can ride all my horses?”
Taylor pulled her legs into a pretzel and grasped her ankles with her best attempt at an innocent grin.“Because I like to help!”
“If you want to help so much, you can keep scrubbing that tack until it shines.”
Taylor pouted, then grabbed the bridle she’d tossed aside, mumbling something under her breath.Victor smiled and shook his head, turning back to his phone and trying to ignore the flutter in his chest.
Taylor was poking around some match-three game on Johnny’s tablet when Johnny appeared at the stall entrance, seeming a little wobbly.In one look, Victor knew he’d had been drinking.Victor immediately leapt to his feet and went to Taylor.
“Hey, why don’t you ask Jade to take you over to look at the cows?”
Taylor frowned.“I already saw the cows.”
“Go look at them again.Come on.”Victor grabbed Taylor’s arm and pushed her to a stand.“Jade!Taylor wants to go look at the cows.”
“Again?”Jade called from her horse’s stall.
“Yup!Right now.”Victor ushered Taylor out of the tack stall before grabbing Johnny’s arm and yanking him through the stall door.“It should take at least an hour or two.”
Jade seemed confused, but when she saw Victor’s expression, she nodded and held out a hand for Taylor to take.Taylor looked over her shoulder at Victor, but eventually she trotted along after Jade, leaving Victor and Johnny alone.
“Sit the fuck down,” Victor snapped, shoving Johnny back into a chair.“Jesus Christ, Johnny, have you beendrinking?”
“Buddies put me up to it,” Johnny muttered as he bent over and framed his head with his hands.“They play hard.”
“At noon on a Thursday?”
