Page 39 of Knife Volume 2

A pause, and then, “You will call me Grandfather.”

Knife had explained nearly everyone called him Grandfather. He’s the leader of the family and the alpha of the pack.

Papaw was warmer on the surface, quicker to smile, and shook her hand with both of his. Mamaw looked like she’d know how to kill a squirrel, skin and gut it, and have it on the table for dinner in a hearty stew hours later.

And then came introductions for Knife’s parents. His mother seemed to look inside her much as Grandfather had, while Knife’s dad seemed completely relaxed and friendly.

Knife turned to the rest of the crowd and told Tuesday, “Everyone else will introduce themselves as you meet them. There are a lot of us.”

She looked out at the gathering and thought about what it meant that he’d left all of this to go out into the world and live in society, rather than the sheltered life he’d grown up in.

And then Knife’s mother put a plate in her hand and pointed her toward the food tables, and she went.

Dinner wasn’t the interrogation she’d been worried about. Knife told them about her taking him to a Korean restaurant, and explained how it’s different. He talked a great deal about the difference in the way they cut their short ribs, and his grandfather was genuinely interested.

Of course, his grandfather had taught him how to be a butcher, so it made sense.

After dinner, people started organizing for games, and she noted it seemed the far end of the field was set up for permanent gameplay.

She’d never played horseshoes before, and that was where Knife led her first.

Her first throw was too wide, but her second found its range. She’d heard the phrase close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and nuclear warfare, and she discovered the first part was accurate… you get points by being close.

She even managed to land a few ringers, but Knife still kicked her ass.

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As much as Knife enjoyed beating her at horseshoes, he was pleased to find out she was much better at cornhole. She’d clearly played this game before, and she more than held her own.

However, croquet was a different story, and she was hopelessly terrible at it. She could laugh at herself and still have fun though, so it was all good.

And then he took her to the corner with the knife throwing lanes, and knew when she lifted the knife and felt the balance, she had some experience.

Even with a knife she’d never thrown before, she hit bullseye on her first throw — and all but two for her next three dozen throws.

He’d taken her to a bar in East Ridge with axes and lanes you could rent, so he knew she’d be able to hold her own when they moved to that section.

But as soon as they rounded the corner and she saw people throwing axes, she turned to him and gave him a pointed look he could easily read. No wonder you were so good on our date. Probably something you should have shared with me.

He just smiled and shrugged. She was right, of course, but he’d had fun being better than her until she’d worked on her technique.

She met his siblings and cousins, his aunts and uncles, and everyone seemed to like her.

Later, sitting around the bonfire, those with cellphones pulled them out to look up her cooking channel when he told them about it.

For the longest, the family hadn’t allowed internet access, but those days were gone. Everyone didn’t have a phone, but at least one person per family did. When on the land, they had a radio system they used to call each other, but it was important for them to have a way to communicate with the outside world, too.

Tuesday wisely pointed them to her recipes for stew, chili, marinades for different kinds of meat, and potato recipes. He sent his mother to the collard greens show.

It wasn’t until they got to his grandfather’s house that Knife discovered the old man had remarried, and Dorcas had made changes. It was the same ancient cabin that’d been added onto multiple times, but there were green curtains in the living room instead of navy, and red ones in the kitchen instead of the old white ones.

And different appliances. Newer. Not new, but newer. She’d probably brought hers with her.

Arriving to find a forty-one-year-old woman living with his one-hundred-and-seven-year-old grandfather was… jarring.

Why hadn’t they told him? Did they think it would upset him?

His grandfather only told him Dorcas had been widowed, but didn’t say what’d happened to her husband.