He froze as soon as he saw me coming. I didn't stop.
The huge, hairy grey dog laying on the floor must've sensed his master tensing up. He stood up and let out a loud bark, forcing Joker to look down. Rather than stand up and beam that hatred at me, he crouched on the floor to sooth the dog, before it turned the nursing home into a total circus.
“What the fuck you doing here?” he growled, running his hand over the beast's furry head.
“Oh, Joker, I knew I'd find you here. Visiting your grandpa, huh?” I looked at the old man and winked.
His weathered face pulled up in a smile, amused by my interruption.
“Summer, you don't know shit. If you've got any sense in your head, you'll pack it in, turn the fuck around, and –“
“What's gotten into you, boy? That's no way to greet a woman,” his grandfather snapped, turning his wheelchair toward me. “Sorry, we haven't met.”
“Hi, I'm Summer,” I said sweetly, taking his hand. “It's a privilege, Mister Taylor, I don't think I ever met you straight up while you lived in Seddon. Just served your table a few times, back at Robby's bar. He was my uncle.”
“Shit on a shingle! You're a hometown girl?” He slowly turned to Joker, glaring the entire time. “Jesus, boy. What else you been hiding from me? I might be cooped up in this damned place, but I ain't pushing goddamned daisies yet.”
I laughed. Genuinely.
The old man had a lot of the Taylor twins in him. He had fire. Plenty of Alex, too, judging by the sharp hazel eyes that hadn't worn down a bit with age.
Joker and I shared a look.
Don't upset your grandpa. Follow my lead. Listen to me, I told him with my eyes.
“Haven't been hiding nothing, Grandpa,” he growled reluctantly. “She's just an old friend. Didn't know she was in town 'til now.”
“No? I tried to come by the clubhouse the other day. Didn't your brothers deliver the message?” I came closer, reaching down gently to stroke the big dog's muzzle while Joker dodged the question. “My, he's so big. What's his name?”
“Bingo!” Grandpa Taylor yelled. “Named him myself. Seeing this boy's the most excitement I got to look forward to all week, outside the weekly games.”
“Yeah, Grandpa. You picked a good one,” Joker said. His icy voice matched his eyes each time he looked at me. “So, why'd you come by? Could've waited for me at the clubhouse.”
“And keep an old friend waiting? I don't think so, Joker. I'm only in town for a little while. Gotta make the most out of every moment.”
The dog softened with both our hands on him. He tilted his massive head, opening his mouth to lick my hand. Through all the anger and anxiety eating me, I smiled.
Grandpa looked up, pointing at me with his thumb. “I like her. You still live in Seddon? What's the old place like these days?”
“Oh, same old, same old,” I said, making light of how hard we'd been hit by the bad economy.
For the next minute or two, I truly enjoyed making small talk with the old man, forgetting about the dagger I'd have to drive into Joker's back before long. My ex-lover sat there in silence, stroking his dog, his eyes boiling like angry seas whenever our eyes locked.
I held his gaze. Showing any weakness was going to be fatal.
“You two were hanging around for all these years, and you never said anything?” Grandpa growled, turning to his grandson. “I can't believe you!”
“She was before Piece,” he said darkly.
The old man's anger melted. The air around us seemed to curdle, turning thick and toxic. I looked around desperately for a distraction.
“Hey, there's some soda and coffee. Can I bring you boys something?”
“Black coffee,” Grandpa Taylor said quietly.
“Joker?” Gingerly, I reached out, trying not to feel horrible that I'd caused him to lay down his dead brother's name.
I couldn't think about that night. Jesus, I couldn't forget why I was really here, what was on the line, all out of some sick, misplaced sympathy for a man who had none for me.
“Water,” he growled, subtly shrugging me off by leaning down to fix his dog's collar.
I nodded and stepped over to the long table, keeping my ears perked up for their voices.
“You don't gotta be so damned surly all the time, Jackson. She's come a long way to see you. Let's not dig into the past again. Ain't bringing him back,” I heard the old man say.
“You think I don't know that?” Joker's voice was low, like thunder.
Bingo let out a tiny whine as I turned around with a tray full of drinks. Just in time to see Joker grab his grandfather's hand, pure death shining in his eyes.
“Jackson...”
“Don't fuckin' call me that here, old man. I'm Joker 'til the job's done. Promised Freddy I'd kill the sick fucks who did him in, and I'm going to, real goddamned soon. I'm keeping my promises, just like you wanted.”