Free Heartless by Janet Taylor-Perry

do. I don't
think they really care. I only have six months until I turn
eighteen. They'll probably just keep quiet, get their check, and
let me pass out of the system and their hair."
Ray's eyes stretched wide open and his brows shot to his
hairline, but he asked, "What exactly did you do to get six
months in reform school?"
"I hit my foster father, and I'm not sorry, and I'd do it
again." Defiance permeated Parker's declaration as his every
muscle tensed.
Not a topic for the street , Ray determined.
Parker said a little bitterly, "Now, I'll just go back inside
because I'm sure you don’t want me to go with you."
"Follow us," Ray said. "You have a lot to learn about this
family."
"Umm…" Parker hesitated.
Ray shook his head. "No discussion." There was no threat
in his voice, but his tone brooked no argument.
In the car, Ray looked at Larkin, his jaw clenching and
unclenching. "Chill," she said, rubbing her husband's arm.
"There's a long story ahead of us tonight."
♥♥♥
    Finally at the house, Parker stood in awe as he looked
around the massive restored antebellum home. His mouth
gaped slightly and his eyes bulged. He blinked several times. Have I died and gone to Heaven?
Larkin took his hand. "Are you hungry?" she asked.
Parker could not help but smell the chicken. He nodded.
    "Yes, ma'am."
"Come in the kitchen. Ray and I didn't finish dinner. We'll
eat together."
In the kitchen dining nook decorated in autumn colors with
rust-and-gold-striped wallpaper, Larkin indicated a dark oak
ladder-back, cane-bottom chair next to Ray's at the polished
table with four placemats of a fall leaf pattern. "Sit down, and
I'll get you a plate," she said.
Parker was not sure how to respond to someone's waiting
on him. She's serving my plate? I must be dreaming. While he
waited, he picked up the baby shoes that remained on the table.
"What are these?"
"Baby shoes," replied Larkin.
Ray rubbed his head again as the migraine was being
persistent. He reached for the prescription that sat on the table
and popped another pill.
"You okay?" asked Parker.
"Migraines."
"Yeah. I get 'em, too, but I don't have any pills. I just get
sick."
"We'll take care of that," Ray said as he patted Parker's
shoulder. "At your age, a healthy diet will make a huge
difference. If that doesn’t get rid of the headaches, we’ll try
some herbal remedies before we even think about medication.
Drugs will be a last resort."
Parker nodded. "Okay." Then he cut his eyes back to the
shoes.
"Larkin gave me the baby shoes as her way of telling me
we're having another baby," Ray explained.
"Wow!" said Parker. "You've had a full day, finding out
about your eldest and your youngest back to back. I saw the
pictures on the wall. You have two more?"
Ray nodded as Larkin placed terracotta stoneware plates in
front of the two men and sat down to her own.
"Where are they?" asked Parker.
"Spending the night with Raif because I wanted to tell Ray
about the baby," Larkin answered.
Drooping one eyelid, Parker voiced his doubt. "So, you
didn't send 'em away because of me?"
"No, Parker, I didn't even know about you when I sent them
to Raif's."
"Okay." Parker took a bite of the broccoli. He looked down
at his plate and up peripherally at the two adults. Suddenly, he
picked up the chicken breast and devoured it as if he had not
eaten in days.
A hand flying to her throat, Larkin asked, "Parker, when
did you last eat?"
Realizing how uncouth he must have seemed, Parker tried
to swallow before he answered. "On the thirteenth just after I
saw Mr. LaFontaine. I stole the ten bucks that was on his
desk."
"Damn it to hell!" shouted Ray as he slammed his hand
onto the table. "Did your mother ever take care of you or teach
you right from wrong?"
Parker sat far back in the chair, waiting to be hit. "It's all
right," Larkin said as she took Parker's grease covered hand.
"No, it's not!" screamed Ray as he stood.
"Ray!" said Larkin. "Sit down and stop it. You're scaring
the hell out of the kid."
Ray