Undeniable Read Free Page A

my neck.
    "Thanks," I said and tucked the medallion under my Jimmy Hendrix tee shirt.  "I like it."
    Nodding, he looked off into the distance.
    "Gonna take a walk through them pumpkin's darlin'.  You wanna join?"
    I hung my headphones around my neck, clipped my walkman to my jeans pocket and hopped down.
    I didn’t give it much thought, just slipped my hand into his like I would with my father or Frankie.  He glanced down but didn’t pull away and his thick, warm fingers curled around mine and we started walking.
    As we walked, Deuce stared up at the cloudy gray sky, chain smoking, not speaking.
    “Are you sad?”  I asked.
    He glanced down at me and his brows furrowed.  I bit my lip.  Had I said the wrong thing?  Maybe he hadn’t wanted anyone to know he was sad.  My heart started beating faster and faster, I felt my palm grow clammy, and because my hand was in Deuce’s hand, I became embarrassed and started sweating even more.
    “Little brother died, darlin’.  Few days ago.”
    I stopped walking and threw my arms around his waist, squeezing as hard as I could.  “I’m so, so sorry,” I whispered.
    Deuce sucked in a breath. “Darlin’.”
    Then he fell to his knees and squeezed me until I couldn’t breathe but I didn’t care because it felt so nice and I knew he needed it.
    “You’re a good kid, darlin’.  A good, sweet kid,” He whispered in my ear. 
    He pulled away and looked me in the eyes.  “Promise me you’ll stay that way, yeah?  You and me kid, we were fuckin’ born in the life, reared by the road and the wheel; it’s what we know and where we belong but that don’t mean it won’t take its toll.  So you promise me, no matter what you see, no matter what sort of fucked up shit happens to you.  Don’t let this life turn you bitter.”
    I stared into his icy blue eyes, entranced by the safety and comfort blanketing me, warming me.  I couldn't look away.  I wanted to tuck this feeling in my back pocket, take it home with me and keep it safe under my pillow to have when I needed it most.
    Eventually, when I remembered what he’d said, I nodded.
    He brushed his knuckles down my cheek and stood.  I slid my hand back into his and we resumed walking, Deuce resumed smoking and I began pointing out unusually large pumpkins.
    “You ever watch, "It's the great pumpkin Charlie Brown”," Deuce asked.  “Stupid fucker makes me laugh.”
    I decided I too really liked that stupid fucker Charlie Brown and made a mental note to watch everything featuring Charlie Brown as soon as I got home.
    "You gonna dress up for Halloween, darlin'?" 
    "I haven't decided," I told him.  "Halloween is very tricky.  Once a year you get to dress up and pretend you're something or someone entirely different then you are.  There’s nothing else quite like it.  You don't want to mess that up, you know?  It's important to pick carefully that way you have no regrets only fabulous memories."
    Deuce stopped walking and stared down at me.
    "What are you thinkin' you might wanna be?"
    "Maya Angelou," I replied immediately, "Or Eleanor Roosevelt."
    He started choking.
    "But," I hurriedly continued, “In order to dress up as Maya Angelou I’d somehow have to make my skin black without insulting the African American community.  I will probably end up as Eleanor Roosevelt.  Not that I mind.  She was an amazing woman .”
    "How old are you?"  He asked roughly, pounding on his chest with his fist.
    "Twelve."
    "Twelve?"
    Looking bewildered, he shook his head.  "Thought you were a pretty smart kid when I first met you, now I know you are."
    I blushed.  Deuce, President, according to his cut, of the Hell's Horsemen, thought I was smart.  How cool was that?
    "How old are you?"  I asked.
    "Thirty, darlin'."  He looked down at me and wrinkled his nose.  "Old, yeah?"
    I shrugged.  "My dad's thirty seven.  And he's still pretty cool."
    His eyes bugged out of his head.  "Lemme get this straight.  You're