Cody Savage kept his right shoulder back and his left foot forward. He jabbed with his left fist, once, twice, three times in a blur of speed. Each jab hit its mark, and he followed with a big right hand that landed with a thump. His target swayed back and forth from the force of his blows.
     “Still punching that bag?” Daisy Torrez asked.
       Sweat ran down Cody’s brow and dripped off his nose. “Yup,” he said through gritted teeth.
     “Keep it up, and you’ll put a hole in it.”
     “Maybe.”
     “Kicking the hell out of a punching bag isn’t going to solve anything, you know. Where’d you get that thing anyway?”
     “Garage sale down the street. Mr. Laney had ten dollars on it, so I bartered with him and mowed his lawn.”
Daisy stood at the bottom of the basement stairs and watched Cody take his aggravation out on the hapless gym equipment. She could feel his anger from across the room. She could see the fire in his eyes. 
       She started to sit on the third step from the bottom until she noticed the dust and dirt that covered the hardwood surface. She ran her index finger across the wood and inspected the dirt that had accumulated on her skin. She gently blew most of it away and then rubbed her hands together in disgust.
       Cody continued with the assault he was putting on the heavy bag. Padded gloves struck the leather over and over, and occasionally, he’d throw a knee or roundhouse kick at his leather victim.
     “Where’d you learn to fight like that?” Daisy asked to elicit a conversion.
Cody just shrugged. “Don’t know.” Right, left, left. “Used to play superheroes when I was a kid and imitate TV.” Left, right knee, right elbow. “Came in handy when I had to fight for real. Never had to think about swinging or ducking—just react.”
       She watched him punch, kick, and knee the bag a few dozen times and hoped he’d feel better after his workout. He’d been a recluse for the last two weeks, and Daisy had hoped to get him outside. Maybe they’d go hiking along the river trail or drive to the next town and find a new diner. Maybe she could convince him to pack a lunch and go fishing downriver from the power station. She was willing to do anything that would make him forget his guilt.
       Cody was drenched with sweat and anger as he thought about Levi Thompson and Jeremy “Cricket” Morrison, the two men who put his best friend, AJ Timmons, in a coma. He imagined them feeling the wrath of his temper with every blow, every kick, and every elbow. He wanted to hurt them more than he already had. He wanted to go savage on their asses.
       Daisy quietly ascended the stairwell that led out of the basement. She couldn’t watch anymore because no matter how many times Cody hit that bag, she was sure the only one he was beating up was himself.

 

 

       Cody pulled his sweat-soaked T-shirt off and slung it over his shoulder. Removing his tight leather gloves with padded knuckles took a little more effort. He opened his new left hand and flexed his fingers and tendons. Even with the gloves' protection, he’d managed to paint the skin black and blue. Stiff knuckles resisted as he worked his fingers like a pianist warming up before a recital.
       He recalled the night the bruised hand grew back and the punch that sent Levi Thompson flying across the barn. The memory brought a sly smile to his face.
Cody had come to hate his psychic power, but he really liked this new hand. With the naked hand, he gave the punching bag two light taps before walking away.
       He climbed the stairs from the basement to the upstairs laundry room. His sneakers fell heavy on the steps, echoing off the cinder block walls of the room. When he reached the top, he saw Daisy sitting at the kitchen table, staring into a short glass of orange juice. Her face was calm and serious, but she gave Cody a lightning-quick smile to hide her concern. He bought it for a second but knew there was something on her mind.
       He wasn’t in the mood to talk. It had been two weeks since he received the call that AJ was out of the coma, and for two weeks, Cody brooded over the events that caused so much harm to his friend. He blamed himself for everything that happened, and now AJ wasn’t speaking to him. Daisy could see Cody’s pain and gave him time and space to deal with the events that happened at Parson’s Store the night he confronted Levi Thompson.
     “Feel better?” Daisy asked.
     “What do you mean?”
       She stood and faced him. “You can hit that bag all day, but It’s not going to help. I know you blame yourself for what happened to AJ. And I know you need time to mourn your brother. But you’ve got to stop beating yourself up. None of this is your fault. You were trying to do what Cody Savage does best.”
     “Yeah, what’s that?”
     “Be the hero.” She kissed his lips as if it would drive the point home.
       Cody’s eyes glazed over, “Some hero, eh? I couldn’t save my brother, and my actions nearly killed AJ. I’m done trying to help. I’m done with all the bullshit happening in this town. If everyone wants to go out and kill each other, then let them. From now on, you’re the only one worth protecting.”
     “I can take care of myself,” Daisy said. Her deadly smile finally appeared, melting Cody like a Hershey’s Kiss on a windowsill. He pressed his forehead against hers, and they just lingered in each other’s presence for a moment.
Cody pulled away, wiped away the little bead of sweat he’d transferred to her skin, and smiled for the first time in weeks.       “I don’t deserve you.”
     “You’re just now realizing that? Holy shit, I’ve been telling you that since we met.” She pulled away and sat back at the table. “Go shower, and then we’ll talk more about how unworthy you are.”
Cody laughed, “Yes, Princess Torrez.” He poured himself a glass of water, gulped half of it down, and headed upstairs.

 

*****

 

       Cody returned to the kitchen wearing clean clothes and a fresh attitude. The couple decided it was a perfect day for fishing since it was slightly overcast, and the wind wasn’t blowing. They could cast a hook and bobber from shore near the powerhouse and let the current carry their fishing line in a wide sweeping arc. It was a great place to catch bass, and if they stayed until dark, they could drop a jig in the water for walleyes. 
       Cody gathered a couple of fishing poles and a tackle box he inherited from his uncle. The garage attic, he discovered, was a treasure trove of little goodies for outdoor sports, seasonal decorations, scrap lumber, some power tools, and boxes of books. Daisy made him throw away the stack of Playboys before Sammy could find them.
While Cody grabbed the gear, Daisy made them lunch consisting of peanut butter and banana sandwiches, a few apples, grapes, four granola bars, a thermos of orange juice, and a gallon of water.
       When Cody returned to the kitchen to see if she was ready, she rearranged everything to fit in the twelve-pack Igloo cooler. “Is it going to fit?”
     “I’ll make it fit.”
     “Do we really need all that?”
     “Well, I’m not sure how long we’ll be, and we need enough for all three of us.”
     “Oh,” Cody looked surprised. “Is Sammy coming, too?”
       Daisy replied that her son was not coming. She stood close to him, gently took his hand, and placed it on her belly.
Cody nearly fell backward into the kitchen counter. “Are you fucking with me?”
       She shook her head. The tears in her eyes erupted in unison to her smile. “I took two tests yesterday, and they’re both positive.”
       Cody grabbed her by the waist and gently wrapped his protective arms around the woman he loved. They pushed their faces together and stared deep into one another’s eyes. 
Since the day he’d left prison, Cody had been beaten, shot, stabbed, and tied up in a burning building, but this was the first time he felt truly scared.