A Clean Pair of Eyes

5: Seeing Red

SOOKIE

"Thank you for helping me load the car on the trailer," I said to my dad once we had the '57 Corvette loaded on the back. It was the buy of a lifetime. I almost wanted to take a picture of it and text it to Eric just to rub it in. When we were done with that Vette it was going to sell for $100,000 no problem. The best part was that I only paid a quarter of that. Even with the upgrades to it, I was looking at most likely thirty grand in profit.

I was going to need it too, since I had a grandchild on the way. That little bit of information was still sinking in. It would get real to me when I saw an ultrasound picture. Madi had an appointment for the next day. My son was grounded until Monday for cutting school, with the exception of work and I was going to let him go to the doctor's appointment.

"No problem. You know I'm always free to help."

"Well I figured since this was your contact, it was only fair to let you come along." We headed for the truck cab and I climbed up behind the wheel of the F-350. "You hungry? Spending that kind of money always makes me hungry."

"You know I can always eat," he chuckled. "Soup's On, or somewhere else?"

"The price is right at Soup's On," I shrugged. Plus the chicken fingers would blow your balls off. I was pretty sure they were dusted with crack when they came out of the fryer.

"I could always go for a good burger there," he nodded.

I waited until we were on the highway before I lowered the boom on him.

"There's something else I need to tell you," I said as I drove along. "You're gonna be a great-grandpa."

"I'm gonna be a what?"

"Josh's girlfriend is pregnant. They told me on Tuesday. They're going to keep it. The best part is that his girlfriend is Eric Northman's daughter."

"Are you fuckin' kidding me?" Dad didn't curse often. He was in just as much shock as I was.

"Nope, not even a little bit."

"Jesus," he sighed. "I thought we taught him better than that. Northman know?"

"Yeah he knows. I think the only reason he didn't pull a gun on Josh was because I was there when he found out," I replied. "He's still butthurt that I'm better at this business than he is."

"No offense, but I get where he's at. I would have happily murdered Ben when you told me you were pregnant with Josh."

"I remember. I haven't seen or heard from Ben in a few months so I don't know what he's up to. Last I heard he was dating someone." I didn't really care what Ben was doing, to be honest.

"Do you think he's going to say anything when he finds out Josh is in the same boat he was in?"

"Nothing of any significant value. Josh wants to stick it out and raise the baby with Madi, his girlfriend, and Ben wanted to fuck around with other women while I was nine months pregnant." They were essentially nothing alike, and I was damn grateful for it.

"You like her? The girl?"

"She seems like a sweet kid. I don't really know her well enough to know if I do. Josh loves her." As far as I knew he hadn't been in love with any of his other girlfriends.

"So she must be something special. Do you think you and Northman are going to be able to put aside your rivalry for that baby?"

"I don't think we're going to have much of a choice." If he wasn't such a pain in the ass, we'd get along a lot better.

"Babies are little miracle workers," he chuckled. "Well, I'd like to meet the Northman girl and have a talk with your boy."

"I'll have him give you a call and set something up. He's grounded right now for skipping school on Tuesday."