He blew Ryder a kiss. “Something sultry, hmm? Something rocking and bluesy?”
Ryder nodded and braced his arms behind him. “Whatever your fingers do, I’m in.”
He wanted to rock it, wanted it to sing, but what came out was… pissed off. The guitar snarled, the chords raw and almost discordant.
Ryder just stared at him and slid closer to Norv, as if his music had teeth and Ryder was afraid of being bitten.
“Let him get it out, baby. He hurts.” Norv’s guitar answered his, giving him something to struggle against.
Ryder didn’t join in. He understood that; Ryder didn’t have these words in him. You couldn’t possibly unless you’d been to this dark place, and the kid just didn’t understand dark.
Norv, though. Norv had danced with the Devil close, had laid with dogs and come back from it.
Tears began to fall, so filled with rage that he expected his guitar to burn.
It didn’t matter, though, how raw and real the tears were or how much pain he poured into his instrument. None of it pushed the pictures from his mind. Images of Kyle so sharp they could cut him into pieces.
“Norv….”
“Let him alone, Ry. This is a safe place.”
“La! I cain’t… I gotta take a walk.” He wasn’t going to be able to breathe no more like this.
He needed out.
Ryder hopped to his feet. “How about some blues, Colt? You’re feeling bad? That’s the way to go, ain’t it?”
“I don’t know which way to go, boo. I don’t understand what I did wrong! I don’ know how to fix it a bit.”
“Maybe you didn’t do nothing wrong. Maybe it’s just he don’t appreciate you. You tell him, Norv. You can’t change what you are even if someone you love don’t like it.”
“That’s true, son. You are who you are. What did he say?”
“That he was pissed about me not playing for him no more. That he was pissed that I was pissed over getting fired. That he didn’t want me to come over when he called for me.”
“Whut?” Norv looked confused. “That don’t make no sense.”
“I know! I just….” He just had to admit it. He was a high-school dropout worthless piece of shit who couldn’t figure out a high-dollar man like Kyle. He stopped and sighed, collapsing in on himself. “La. I’m broke, me.”
Ryder stepped closer. For all Colt wasn’t a big man, Ryder was even smaller. “You’re a good man. He’s a fool to let you go. If he was closer, I’d tell him so to his face.”
“I’d prob’ly let you, just to watch him be all shocked.” Colt put his guitar down and hugged Ryder hard. “Y’all are my good friends.”
“We are.” Ryder’s hug was deep and warm, offering up whatever Colt needed.
He heard Norv putting things away, and then the man’s big hand landed on his shoulder. “We’re going to all cook supper together. We’re all going to eat and listen to good music and smoke a little weed.”
“Norv went shopping. The fridge is busting!” Ryder’s grin was huge. The man was always hungry. Colt had never seen anyone so small eat so much.
“Yessir.” Norv didn’t ask, just turned and expected that they’d follow, and follow they did, like a row of mismatched ducklings.
“How about we catch some fish tomorrow, Colt? Want to? Get some sun, have a beer? I mean it won’t be crazy warm, but fresh air is good, right?”
“Works for me, boo.” He knew better. He knew that he couldn’t stay here, taint their Christmas.
He was poison right now.
* * *