Yep, this was all very familiar. My mom and her sister were spiritualists who divined not only auras but the vagaries of the energies of space and earth that battered our defenses down on the daily. My childhood was an interesting one for sure. I was loved, make no mistake, but I spent the first ten years of my life fully believing that there were dark energies seeking out those with evil souls. Once I’d joined the science club, I began to slowly peel away the unscientific beliefs of the women who raised me. Although there were times that I maybe sort of thought they could speak to each other via mind power.

  “It’s been a day,” I said again, pulling around a slow-moving van to enter the left lane. Traffic was heavy at this time of day in or near Tulsa. “Dahn got into some trouble while I was gone.”

  Both of them gasped. “Our Dahn?!” they both exclaimed in perfect sync. “But his aura is always such a peaceful pink and green frequency.”

  “I know.” I didn’t really, but they said it was, so I went along with it. “Ever since his dad decided to move to Spain and relinquish custody to me fully, which I am thrilled about, he’s been struggling. And we moved to Oklahoma, and that was also another emotional upset.”

  I filled them in on everything from Cash’s death to the large pink penis on Isiah’s statue. Mom seemed undisturbed about her ex-lover’s slash father of her child’s death. She and Joey did whisper some words to the universe for him, so that was more than most women who’d been left to raise a baby alone would probably do. They said little but exchanged several dozen looks as I vomited up my worries and woes while crossing the Sooner State. Mom, I was sure, had gotten a goodly amount of info about Cash dying and the move here from Dahn. I’d never forbidden the boy from speaking to his grandmother. I’d just pulled back to lick my wounds and sulk. It was hard to admit that someone had been right and you had been a blind moron.

  “So many upsetting vibes in this car,” Aunt Joey said from the back. A moment later, thin but pungent smoke began to waft to the front. I knew the scent well. Fresh yet peppery with a touch of camphor. She was burning white sage incense. “Breathe that in and let the smudge cleanse this space of negative energies.”

  “Aunt Joey,” I coughed and quickly lowered my window. “Put that out before you catch the back seat on fire.”

  “Spirits know we could use some positive energy in here,” she muttered while my mother continued to study me through her glasses.

  “I can see that you’re tense, Dodge. Perhaps you should purge that before we arrive back at the ranch to meet with Dahn about this bad behavior. Oh! Joey and I read that there was a Cherokee reservation near your new home. I’m sure they have a smoke purification ritual you could all take part in that would carry away the bad energy trapped in your body.”

  The hiss of my aunt pinching out her incense in the back filled me with relief. I really didn’t want burn marks on the carpeting or upholstery.

  “Yes, there is a reservation close by to where we live. No, I am not going there to ask if I can take part in something that is a sacred ceremony that’s deeply rooted in their culture.”

  “He does make a good point,” Joey said from the back. “We can do a good smudge when we get to the ranch house. That will help.”

  “Okay, yes, that’s true. We’ll do that before they have their talk. I’m not sure why I even suggested that. I truly know better.” Mom looked deeply chagrined.

  “It’s okay, darling, we’re all highly agitated and not thinking clearly,” Joey said as she reached up to pat my mother’s shoulder. Mom nodded in thanks.

  Cool. One situation averted. “Aunt Joey is right. We’re all upset. And that’s part of the problem. I have no clue how to even begin this conversation with him. I’m still very upset with him for even agreeing to take part and skipping out on the final class before the fair. I’m tempted to just not allow him to show at the fair at all as punishment.”

  I glanced at my mother chewing on her lower lip. The smoke had cleared out, but I feared the scent would be in my seats for months now.

  “Well, this did happen to you as a child. Your father left, and you and I moved to a new place to live.” I recalled quite clearly. It had been a rough time for both of us. Aunt Joey had taken us into her home with open arms and showered me with the love that Cash should have been giving me as his child. It helped, sure, but I still grew up without a father. “I think the best thing you can do as his parent is to discipline him with gentle guidance.”

  I gave that some thought as we slowly left the city behind. The air out here was a little sweeter as it blew in the window.

  “Like that time you and those two Humphrey boys stole all the frogs from the science labs and placed them in the cheerleaders’ pompoms before halftime of the homecoming game,” Mom reminded me with a smile that was now filled with humor, but back then, she had not been amused at all. “Your aunt and I took away a few things, but not everything.”

  “You also made me and the Humphrey twins launder and fold the cheerleaders’ uniforms for a month.” You’d be surprised how sweaty and dirty cheerleaders get. “I see what you’re saying.” I blew out a cleansing breath. “Okay, I think I know what to do now. Thank you both for hearing me out. Things are always easier to handle when you two are close at hand.”

  Mom leaned over to kiss my cheek. Aunt Joey patted my shoulder. “That’s what moms and aunties are for,” they both said at the same time.

  How right they were…

  ***

  We rolled up to Bastian Acres around six that night.

  The front door opened, and the family that I’d found came broiling out like puppies set free from their kennel. Granny was last, her cane tapping along steadily, her smile bright.

  “Welcome!” Granny shouted as my mother and aunt were met with broad grins, handshakes, and hugs. “Dinner is just about to come out of the oven. We made some beef ribs, beans, and my macaroni and cheese. Boys, get their bags. I just put a pot of coffee on. My stars, don’t you both look just like our Dodge! No wonder his hair is so darn pretty!”

  I handed their bags to Ford, and he hustled them into the house. I did not miss the fact that my son was not in the welcoming committee. That didn’t sit well with me, though I could understand that he was shamefaced about his actions.

  “Where’s Dahn?” I asked my brothers. Linc jerked a thumb at the goat barn.

  “Been there since he came home with Ford,” Lincoln informed me as Bella could be heard commenting on how fresh and fanciful my aunt and mother’s traveling attire was. “We just left him alone. The kid had a rough day. I’m not sure that I wouldn’t puke all over my shoes if Ollie Ahoka was glaring down at me.”

  “Ollie would have to glare up an inch or two, but your point is made.” I clapped his broad shoulder. “Tell the ladies I’ve gone to round up my boy. We’ll be right in to wash up.”

  “Will do.” He gave me a nod and then ambled back inside, ducking slightly not to crack his head on the doorjamb. Our Linc was a big man.

  I made my way to the goat barn, inhaling the smell of fresh hay, animals, and the slight minty scent of ragweed. Entering the barn, I found him right off, seated in a large lounging pen with his show goat Petunia as well as several other half-grown kids and adult goats. Willy, the massive buck, was at his side chewing his cud, happy as a pig in slop, as Granny liked to say. Dahn looked up when I opened the gate to enter the pen. The floor was covered with thick bedding straw that cushioned my steps. His eyes began to water, but he battled the tears back.

  “Son,” I said softly as I kneeled in the hay in front of him. Two kids thought I was there to be used as a launchpad. Tiny hooves hit my back before they leaped off into the air to kick up their heels. “Ouch,” I moaned. “How anyone does yoga with goat kids jumping on them like trampolines, I have no clue.”

  Dahn hugged Petunia closer to his chest, the tears now on the verge of flowing down his cheeks. With a grimy hand, he dashed them away and returned to holding his sleepy goat with both hands.

  “Am I going to be grounded forever?” he timidly asked.

  “Forever is a very long time. I’m not sure if I can ground you when you’re thirty.”

  I reached out to pet Willy.

  “I’d like to hear what you think should be your punishment for defacing that statue.” Dahn drew in a shaky breath while goats mingled about, some stopping to sniff my hat, mouth at my hair, or check out my shirt pocket for treats. “You’ve had time to reflect on your actions now, and I have to assume you’ve concluded that what you did was very wrong.”

  “Yeah, I know it was.” He peeked at me from under too-long bangs. “I shouldn’t have done it. It was bad, and I got you in trouble.”

  “I’m not in trouble. I will have to pay to have the statue cleaned, along with the parents of the other boys. What I’m most concerned about is your behavior of late. I think we need to talk about that, don’t you?” He nodded. That was a discussion we needed to have, but not now. The emotions were too raw, and he’d been through enough for one day. “We should get inside so you can welcome Grandma and Aunt Joey after you tell me what you think your punishment should be.”

  “I think I should have to wash the penis off the statue,” he said.

  “Okay, that seems fair.”

  “I think I should still be able to show Petunia because I worked super hard to learn how to do it.”

  “All right, I agree.” Some of the worry eased around his eyes. “I think you should show too, but I think that there will be no sleeping over in the barn with Phil. You’ll go to the fairgrounds to tend to Petunia, watch any of the other shows or see the displays, and then come home with me. No sleepovers, no games, no rides.” He frowned deeply but accepted the punishment with a soberness that made me proud. “Also, and I know this is going to be harsh, I feel quite strongly you should no longer associate with the Leary cousins. They’re a bad influence, Dahn. I don’t like the things they say about people who are different than them, or how they treat those they think are lesser. You saw how upset Bella was over the scarecrow wearing her dress.”

  “Yes, she cried.”

  “She did, and that hurt her. The parent of one of the boys you’ve been hanging out with did that. That’s just mean, don’t you think?” He nodded. “Okay, so from now on, you are not allowed to play with those boys.”

  “Okay, I think…I think that’s okay. They were nice at first, but now they’re acting like wiener holes.”

  That was an interesting turn of phrase. I was pleased he could see exactly what kind of boys he had been drawn into, and that he wished to sever his ties with them. Maybe the lessons he’d been taught had truly sunk in. I sure hoped so because life was going to test his values more and more as he matured.

  “You’re a good boy, Dahn. We all make mistakes. I know things have been hard for you.”

  “Are we still going to stay with Sheriff Ahoka?”

  “We are. He’s looking forward to having you and me there.”

  “Are you sleeping with me or him?”

  Oh. “I’d not really thought about it.” That was a lie. I’d thought plenty about it and hadn’t been able to decide whether I should or shouldn’t.

  He rearranged the sleeping goat kid on his lap. “Sometimes it’s hard to sleep in a new bed.”

  “True.” I gave his hair a comb with my fingers. Chaffe fell from the silken strands to his tee. “We’ll sort that out later. Let’s go inside. Grannie Helen and Aunt Joey are dying to see you.”

  “Are they mad at me for getting in big trouble with the law?”

  I had to chuckle. To hear him tell it, he committed armed robbery. “No, they’re not mad. No one is mad at you for making a mistake in judgment. People do it all the time.” Just look at my pick for a husband I nearly said but bit it back. “Come on. Let Petunia rest for the night. Tomorrow will be a big day for her.”

  “Okay.” He lifted the goat from his lap with a small grunt, placed her beside Willie, and rose as I did. He threw his arms around me, face mushed into my belly and hugged me with all the strength he had in those skinny, scabby little boy arms. I held him close, gazing down at the top of his head, vision blurry. It was hard growing up. Hell, it was hard being a grown-up.

  ***

  Dinner that night was a boisterous but beautiful affair.

  My mother and aunt fit right in with the rest of my newfound family. Granny and Bella had taken them under their wings, promising them some new frocks and perhaps a day of makeovers and hairstyling. Mom and Aunt Joey clung to Dahn throughout the meal, smiling at him as he ate his meal with gusto, replying to any questions in a polite but withdrawn manner. It was obvious he was still feeling chagrined, and rightly so. We spent an hour or so after the meal to start to digest and engage in a coffee klatch that had far too many tales of me as a child and teenager for my liking. Granny filled in any gaps with stories of Baker as a boy. My eldest brother and I exchanged eye rolls as the others laughed at our boyish escapades.

  Dahn was starting to flag around nine, so I announced that we were heading to town. Dahn got kisses from his grandma and great-aunt as if he were heading off, never to be seen again. I also got plenty of affection. Perhaps I could see why they were so clingy. We’d not seen them for a long, long time, totally down to me being a putz.

  I zipped Ollie a quick text before grabbing our bags to head to his place. He was ready for the Bastian invasion to take place. The ride over was quiet. Dahn wasn’t exactly sullen but more reserved than he had been even at dinner. I suspected he felt odd seeing Ollie again. There was little I could do to ease that discomfort. He’d just have to work through it by spending time with Ollie. Something that Ollie seemed very willing to do.

  The sky was dark as velvet, the stars twinkling above, as we parked in Ollie’s drive beside his Jeep. We took a moment to stare skyward after exiting my SUV, our packed bags on our shoulders.

  “That’s Cygnus, the swan.” I pointed out to my boy as the front door swung open, showering us with interior light. Ollie stepped outside, joining us with a kiss on my cheek and an extended hand to Dahn. The boy stared at the large mitt for a long time before placing his small one into it. They shook soundly.

  “Welcome to Casa Ahoka,” Ollie said, dropping down into a crouch in front of Dahn. “There are no hard feelings of any kind. I’d like to pretend that what took place this morning is firmly in the past. Whatever punishment your father deems fitting will be dealt out by him. My job is done, so we can start over as friends. Is that cool with you?” Dahn nodded silently. “Cool. So, I have a bag of popcorn as big as you,” he said to Dahn and then looked up at me. “And one of the Addams Family movies ready to roll if that’s okay with you, Dad?”

  “The one with Angelica Huston and Raul Julia?” I asked, and he nodded. “Those are very okay. We love the Addams Family films.”

  “Dad won’t let me watch the new series,” Dahn interjected with a tiny hint of hopefulness.

  “Then we’ll stick with the older ones that you can watch. Let’s head inside.” Ollie rose slowly, gave me a smile that lit up the night far better than any heavenly body in the summer triangle could. I was truly smitten.

  Ollie led us into his house. The living room was set up for movie watching, and the bag of popcorn as large as my child sitting on the sofa was ready for snacking.

  “This is the guest room,” Ollie announced, showing us where we’d sleep. The bedding looked fresh and turned down, the wide queen plenty big for my boy and me. If this was where I would crash and it felt like it might be, it was perfect. “Drop your bags wherever. I’ll go get the drinks.”

  Ollie gave my shoulder a soft little pinch and left us to it. I placed my bag atop a long dresser with an oval mirror attached to its back. Dahn handed his over to me, his sight darting around the cool room. The AC felt good yet. I wasn’t sure when summer would start to release its grip on the Sooner State, but I hoped it would be soon.

  “Does he have his gun here?” Dahn asked as we toed off our shoes.

  “It’s locked away.”

  “Okay.” That seemed to be all he needed to know. Why he asked, I couldn’t say. Either he was worried about a gun, which I assume he wasn’t given Granny and Baker had been teaching him to plink cans with an old BB gun that once belonged to Baker, or he was simply curious about what a law officer did with his weapon.

  We joined Ollie on the sofa, me on one end, Dahn and the enormous bag of popcorn in the middle, and Ollie on the other end. There was a jug of fruit punch on the table for Dahn and two cups of coffee for the adults. Over the crunching of my son eating popcorn, we all chuckled at the opening bit where the Addams Family—on the roof of their eerie mansion—were about to dump a steaming cauldron on the heads of some carolers. The familiar finger snapping theme came on, we all snapped along, and then let the film cart us off.

  Dahn made it about halfway through, falling asleep with his head on my shoulder and one hand in the huge popcorn bag. I had no clue where the boy had put all the popcorn after the enormous meal he’d eaten at home. The lad was a walking appetite.

  “I’ll get him to bed and join you for a nightcap,” I whispered to Ollie as he paused the movie. We’d pick it up later.

  “Sounds good. Meet me in the kitchen.”

  I smiled and scooped my boy up. Dahn was getting heavier. Still nothing but arms and legs but filling out in muscle. Someday this would be impossible for me, say within a few years, but for now, I relished carrying him to bed. Once a pillow was under his head, I gently removed his jeans. He mumbled but didn’t wake up. With a soft tug, I had the thin summer blanket and top sheet over him. The boy sighed dreamily and rolled onto his belly. I left the small lamp on the dresser on in case he woke up alone and was frightened, and then I went to join Ollie in the kitchen.

  “I made us a couple of iced teas,” he said as I closed the distance to link my arms around his thick neck and kiss him. Soundly. “Mm, that’s a nice thank you for a simple Arnold Palmer.”