Page 66 of Ride or Die

“Your truck,” she says. “You said she. Why is your truck a girl?”

“Oh, well.” Cole shrugs. “That’s a good question. I dunno. For some reason it’s just somethin’ I’ve always done. Referred to my vehicles as women.” His gaze flits to me yet again.

“Mommy says it’s rude to sayshe,” Billie says matter-of-factly.

I can’t help but smile. “I’m talking about calling an actual human womanshewhen you know her name,” I correct her.

“Oh.” Billie’s lips twist in thought.

“Your mama’s right. It is rude,” Cole says with a nod. “Shedon’t have a name so maybe she needs one.”

“Oh, can I choose?” Billie pleads, hands clasped beneath her chin as she bounces up and down in her spot.

“So long as it ain’t Curly.” Cole smirks causing Tommy to snort a laugh, and as I look between the two of them sitting there next to one another, chuckling between themselves, thick as thieves, my heart swells at just how close they’ve become. Billie opens up easily, but Tom takes a long time to warm to someone. The fact that he’s taken to Cole so quickly sure says something.

“Curly’s my doggy’s name,” Billie says, holding up the fluffy dog as if we’d forgotten. “I wanna name her…” She looks up to the sky in thought, tapping a finger against her dimpled chin. “Rose.”

“That’s a nice name, Bil,” I say, but when I glance across at Cole, I’m stilted by just how startled he suddenly appears.

As if he’s just realized himself, Cole pulls back a touch, wiping his mouth with his napkin and clearing his throat. “I like Rose,” he says sincerely, “but actually, that was my mama’s name.”

I suck in a soft gasp when his eyes meet mine, my skin flushing with the heat of guilt. But before I can apologize for Billie, Cole continues.

“And I don’t think I can call my truck Rose because if she breaks down again and I get angry, I don’t wanna accidentally cuss out my mama.” He winks at Billie, offering a wry grin.

“Where’s your mama?” Billie asks so innocently I don’t even have it in me to chastise her for being nosey.

Cole’s smile turns sad. “My mama’s in heaven.”

“Oh…” Billie looks down at her plate, her small shoulders shrinking a little.

“I’m sorry,” Tommy says softly.

“How about Dolly?” Billie suddenly says, a big hopeful smile on her face.

“Dolly?” Cole quirks a brow looking more than a little uncertain.

She nods excitedly. “Dolly Pardon.”

“Parton,” I correct.

“Dolly Parton.” Billie nods again.

Cole takes a moment to look off into the distance as if in serious deliberation. “You know what? Mama did love Dolly Parton. So, I think Dolly’s a great name.”

Billie beams clearly proud of herself.

“I like Dolly,” I tell her softly.

“You know what else my mama liked?” Cole continues.

Billie shakes her head.

With a soft chuckle, he reaches across to the small glass vase in the center of the table, where I placed the sprig of redbud blooms Billie picked up off the ground earlier.

“Mama loved the redbuds.” He smiles, holding up the vase and grazing the small dark pink buds with his fingertip.

“I love them, too!” Billie beams.