Montana Skies

Epilogue: Part Two

River's Point Of View

"Look, Lyle, you have to lose this attitude. Especially with your mother because it is beginning to piss me off," I said sternly. I looked over at him as we pulled away from the house.

"Come on, Dad. Don't you think she's being a little strict?" Lyle muttered.

"You were going a hundred and twenty miles per hour in a fifty-five zone, so no, I don't! You were lucky that fucking cop dropped down your actual speed so you wouldn't lose your license!" I shouted. I slammed my hand down on the steering wheel.

Lyle sank down into his seat, but he didn't speak.

"You should have gotten your license pulled for that shit. The only reason you didn't is that Gary particularly likes your mother, and your mother talked him into dropping it. I think your mom should have let Gary write you a ticket for your real speed!" I snapped.

Lyle sighed but didn't speak. Lyle gazed out the window. Lyle had been really distant with a bad attitude. It was funny because my parents always told me I would have a son and he would be the same or worse than me. I thought–oh no, not my kids. The joke was on me because, yes, my kid.

"What's your problem? You got something you need to tell me?" I asked.

Lyle looked at me and knitted his eyebrows together. His blue eyes were cold. They were so cold they were practically ice. It reminded me so much of myself that I grimaced. "You wouldn't understand," Lyle muttered and looked away.

That pissed me off. I whipped the steering wheel to the right and drove up a road I hadn't been on in years.

"You think I wouldn't understand?" I spat. I pulled off to the shoulder of the road and put the truck in park.

"What are you doing?" Lyle asked, confused.

"Get out of the damn truck," I growled. I threw my door open and slammed it shut.

Lyle slowly got out of the truck and stared at me in shock.

I grabbed his arm and made him walk along the guard rail with me. I stopped and turned him to face what was on the other side of the guard rail. It was nothing but trees and rocks, a cliffside that went down a couple of hundred feet.

"You think that I don't understand what it is like to be young? Girls, your friends, the pressure of fitting in, and wanting to impress other people. You were caught speeding with Landon in the car. Let me guess. You wanted to show off? Mister fucking hotshot, does that sound about right? Got to prove how badass you are to your buddies?" I sneered.

Lyle stared at me for a long moment. He gritted his teeth and looked away.

"Well, come on? Tell me I'm fucking wrong, Lyle," I said.

Lyle didn't speak.

"Do you know that Landon's real dad died in a car accident?" I asked.

"Yeah," Lyle said and shrugged. "So, what?"

"Guess who was driving," I murmured darkly. I stared intently at him as I moved closer.

Lyle swallowed hard and shook his head. "I don't know he never said," Lyle muttered.

"That's because his mother never told him, but I'm going to tell you." I stared at him for a long moment.