Free Tough Love by Nancy Holder

give her some pointers on how to behave like a normal fuddy-duddy parent.
    “"You go take a shower,”" Grace said. “"I’'ll clean up the mess.”"
    “"Okay, Aunt Grace.”" Clay scooped up some popcorn to fling at her, but she was too quick and ducked out of trajectory range. His weapons of mass carbos plummeted to earth. Laughing, he turned around and headed for her bathroom.
    “"You’'ve got some sweats and a T-shirt in the clean laundry,”" she called after him. A bigger T-shirt, at that. “"Basket’'s on the dryer.”"
    “"Thanks,”" he called back.
    She smiled fondly after him, then down at Gus, who was still clearing the debris field. She was tempted to let him devour all the popcorn, but she didn’'t want him to have a bellyache. So she nudged him back with one bare foot while she dropped a roll of paper towels on the floor. Then she started gathering up gobs of popcorn with the use of her nimble feet.
    “"Evenin’', Grace,”" Earl said, appearing next to the TV. He was examining her stack of videos.
    “"Did you put Clay up to Astronaut Farmer?”" she asked him as Gus abandoned the popcorn and trotted over to Earl. Gus loved her angel more than junk food. Amazing.
    Earl patted Gus as he examined the back of a George Romero classic. Brain-eating zombies, shotguns. What was not to love?
    “"Nope. You sure do like zombies,”" he said.
    “"Used to be one.”" She crossed her eyes. “"Catholic schoolgirl. No one more brainless than that.”"
    “"Rhetta was a Catholic schoolgirl,”" Earl said. “"And you think she’'s smarter than you.”"
    “"Because she is. But I can drink more and swear better.”"
    “"Proud accomplishments.”" He set down the videos. “"It’'s nice to see you two having a good time. You and Clay. Life’'s so short. Gotta seize the moment.”"
    She went cold. Something in his tone set off her alarm bells. “"Those tougher times you mentioned …... that’'s the Sons of Oklahoma, right?”"
    He moved his shoulders. “"Maybe. Or maybe it’'s about a certain daughter of God. The tough times she’'s having.”"
    If he was talking about Grace herself, she didn’'t currently give a shit about that. “"It doesn’'t have anything to do with Clay?”"
    “"You know I can’'t tell you that,”" he said, gazing steadily at her.
    “"Can’'t or won’'t?”" she pushed, but she knew he wouldn’'t say either way. Still, as he stood facing her with her DVDs in his hand, the coldness turned to ice, as if she were standing in a cave in the Himalayas. If anything ever happened to her boy …...
    “"Why are you here?”" she asked. She clutched the roll of paper towels like a weapon. “"What’'s going on, Earl?”"
    “"I’'m not here for any special reason. I just heard the laughter,”" he replied. “"I knew Clay was over, and I thought I’'d pop by. I like Clay.”"
    She took a protective step toward the hall. “"Clay,”" she yelled, but she heard the shower going. He wouldn’'t be able to hear her. She swallowed. “"Nothing’'s going to happen to him. I want you to tell me that.”"
    He only looked at her. “"How you’'re feeling? That’'s how God feels when you’'re being reckless, taking chances. You. That’'s how He feels about you.”"
    “"What is this?”" she asked, edgy, defensive. “"Is this some kind of test, or lesson?”" She put the towels on the breakfast bar and stomped down the hall. She rapped on the door with the back of her hand, fingers doubled into a fist. “"Clay?”" she called loudly. “"You okay?”"
    The water went off.
    “"Aunt Grace?”" Clay called. “"Did you say something?”"
    “"Yeah, um.”" She closed her eyes. “"Just …... there’'s a clean towel on the rack. The blue one.”"
    “"Thanks.”" A beat. “"Are you okay, Aunt Grace?”"
    “"Yeah.”" She sagged a little, relief making her go weak in the knees. The water went back on, and she strode back into the living room. “"This is not okay, man,”" she