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“If I had my way, Goldie would move to Baton Rouge. Our dogs would become best friends. Goldie and I would have a kid. You, me, and Exile would annoy people with our daddy stories. But none of that can happen yet. Goldie still needs a lot of help. If she came back with me to Baton Rouge, I couldn’t leave her alone.”
“Can’t you convince her parents to stay at your house?” Zodiac asked without missing a beat. “Nova, Boone, and the girls will be in Baton Rouge while I’m out of town. Goldie’s parents would agree to stay at your place if you asked.”
“You have this all figured out, huh?”
“Sure. I need to be out of town for Sutter’s nerd camp. Having you here makes me feel better than having you in Little Memphis.”
“Well, I’ll ask, but I won’t pressure Goldie.”
“What if she won’t move here?”
“Then, I’m moving to Little Memphis. I can’t do the long-distance thing anymore.”
Zodiac exhaled gruffly. “Your love life annoys me.”
“I thought you were happy I was hooking up with a Crimson Guard fox.”
“I am, but only if she moves here.”
“Goldie might be more inclined to move if Elle is in Baton Rouge when we visit. It’d make the town feel more appealing.”
“Well, we can’t cancel Sutter’s thing. It was expensive, and he’s excited.”
“You don’t care about money.”
“Fine, I don’t like disappointing the boy. You need to work your magic on Goldie and get her to come down here before we leave. The club needs you in town. People fear you a whole lot more than they do Ojai and Sugar.”
“Exile will be there.”
“He’s one guy, and his woman is knocked up. People might think his head isn’t in the game.”
“Have him beat up someone in the middle of the street. That’ll show where his head is at.”
“True, but you watching him do that will be better. People know how you are with your rifle, and no one wants to end up in your scope. The solution to our problems is for you to bring Goldie here.”
“I already said I’d ask.”
“Sure, but that wasn’t the overwhelming agreement I was looking for.”
“You’re coming off whiny, Zodiac. Maybe dial down the bitching a notch.”
When Zodiac exhaled hard, I smiled at how I managed to annoy him. So much of his gruff bullshit was bravado meant to keep people at a distance.
Zodiac finally said, “Oh, your mom called me two days ago to ask if you were having a mental breakdown. Thanks for giving her my number.”
I chuckled at Jessica’s bullshit before telling Zodiac, “That was your idea years ago.”
“Yeah, well, I regret that choice. Anyway, I assured her that men like you never stay crazy for long. She seemed to like that answer.”
Rolling my eyes, I sighed. “Can I hang up now?”
“Get used to these bonding moments, York. Once you move Goldie to Baton Rouge and knock her up, you and I will be annoying each other as much as we do other people.”
Zodiac hung up, leaving me to chuckle at the idea of us talking diapers and car seats during Baton Rouge barbecues.
I returned to the house where Goldie slept on her back on the couch. Blackjack had closed the curtains. When I entered the family room, he paused “Moonraker” on the large wall-mounted TV.
Days ago, Blackjack had suggested we watch the Bond movies out of order.
