Home Is Your Heartbeat ('Home Is' Book Two - Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 17 - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall (Coldplay)

NATE

Lift the kettle using a couple of pieces of wood, like tongs. Carefully carried it over to where he'd laid out two battered enamel cups.

"No sugar, I'm sorry. But we can share this?"

I pause the tea-making and pull out the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup from the inner pocket of my jacket.

"Muttley!  Leave the poor man alone."

He gave a soft laugh. Before Mutt snuck in one final....and no doubt stinky....lick of his chin.

"I'm good with just the tea thanks, Nate. Never really been a chocolate man. Though I do admit to the occasional hankering for some peanut butter."

He gently took Mutt's muzzle in his hand and then levered him into a sitting position. As he'd seen me do when we first....ummmm....met?

I finish pouring before handing him one of the mugs. Grab the other, and flop cross-legged on the ground a few feet from him.

"My brother went through a heap of those. Though he much preferred the double taper. He started with Wax wood, except they kept breaking. So he went onto Oak....like that one there."

"But I don't recognise this wood at all, Morgan"  I indicate the closer of the two.

The look of surprise showed on his face once I began talking about his Bo staffs. To me, it seemed the most neutral of topics as an icebreaker?

"Maple. Just as hard, but has a lot more flexibility. Not as much jarring to the hands and wrists when making contact"  He picked it up, offering it to me with a smile.

"Go on now....it's Ok"  When I hesitated, he pushed it forward again.

"Thank you."

I run my hands up and down the stick, feeling the wood. It's as smooth as satin beneath my fingertips. Almost a work of art, to be honest. And with such a heavenly texture.

"Did you make it?"

"No. That one was gifted to me, by....a friend. Who taught me how to use them. The other one belonged to him as well. He made both."

I nod, catching the undertone in his voice. It's telling me that his friend no longer has any use for it.

"Would you have done it....if I hadn't come across you?"

"Wow, Morgan!  You really don't believe in small talk, huh?"

I'm not angry at his abrupt change in topic. Just didn't think it'd come up for discussion so soon, is all. May as well usher this  elephant out of the room, as quickly as possible.

At least he didn't say those five little words....thank heavens 😌

Morgan didn't say anything, actually. Simply waited patiently for my response to his question.

"Naaaah!"

"Having it....the pistol in my hand? Made me think about it, for sure. How nice it'd be not to have the hurt, the pain or the worry anymore. Simply opt-out. But actually doing it?"  My lips give another wry twist as I shake my head.

"Waste of a good bullet. And I'd wobble so much? Probably miss. Do a Vincent Van Gogh on myself instead"  I let out a soft laugh while tugging on my ear.

He gazed at me for a long time while I sipped my tea. Yet it wasn't a gaze that made me uncomfortable.

We're strangers, yes. But he's just trying to get a feel for me. My words....and if I actually mean them.