Thirteen

Hudson

The first week flew by and by Sunday I was ready to sleep in and have a lazy day on the couch. So far, this job had been more physical than being a regional manager but even though my sore muscles reminded me I wasn't twenty anymore, I liked it. After dragging myself out of bed I walked out into the empty kitchen and found a note on the counter.

We decided to take a road trip up to Washington. Should be back in a week or two. If you need anything just call, we're not that far away, Mom

I was a little shocked, my parents had never been spur-of-the-moment people, but then they'd always owned the store and maybe the opportunity had been taken away from them. "Good for them," I finally said and grinned as I opened the refrigerator. "Looks like grocery shopping is on my to-do list today." Lucky for me there were eggs, bread, and milk so I made myself a simple breakfast of a scrambled egg sandwich on toast and a couple of cups of coffee.

After making a list I decided to go to the store now and get it over with. Driving there took me a whole five minutes and as usual there was parking out front. There were a few other people shopping and a man at the cash register that I was pretty sure worked here when I was a teenager. I grabbed a shopping cart and made my way around the store.

"You don't remember me do you," a woman said as I walked by the juice section.

"Excuse me?" I asked and tried to see something familiar in her face.

"I used to babysit you when I was a teenager. Welcome back to town, Hudson," she said and walked off before telling me who she was.

"Th-thank you," I managed to stutter out, still clueless as to who she was. She waved and moved to the next aisle.

It was immediately clear to me that there were some things I'd need to get when I went back to Sacramento especially since I was going to be here longer than I had originally thought. Looking at the time, I thought I might as well go to my house and get it all now. "Hey, Greg, can I get a half pound of sliced turkey?" I asked at the counter I hadn't been near in twenty years, but it hadn't changed one bit.

"Hudson, I heard you were in town, but I almost didn't believe it. It's been a long time." While he talked, he weighed out the turkey before wrapping it in white butcher paper. Just like he'd done when I was a kid.

"I'm thinking of buying the hardware store," I said, even though I knew there was no way he didn't know by now. Gossip spread in this town faster than you could walk across the street.

"I heard that too. Glad to hear it," he said with a smile as he handed me the package. "Anything else I can get you?"

"Not today, thanks, Greg."

After talking to the man at the register, who had in fact worked there when I was a teenager, I walked out to my car and decided to drop everything off at home before making the drive. Then a thought hit me, and I tapped out a text on my phone as I sat out front of the grocery store.

Hudson: Hey, what are you doing?

Jack: Who the fuck is this?

Hudson: Your boss

I watched with amusement as he typed and retyped his message until finally it came through.

Jack: Sorry, old habit

Hudson: What are you doing today?

Jack: Sitting on my ass recovering, why?

I had the distinct feeling he thought I was going to make him work on his day off, and that made me laugh as I pictured him waiting.

Hudson: I'm going to Sacramento to get a few things. I thought maybe you might like to go along.

Once again, he typed and retyped his message, no doubt wondering why I'd ask him along. But the truth was I liked Jack. He was a lot younger than me, but we had the same work ethic, and I liked the fact that he always had something to say, and the past couple of days he hadn't been nearly as bristly as he had been at first. I'd only seen him at work, and I wanted to know him outside work as well. Even if I refused to think about why that was. I started the car and drove home and as soon as I parked out front his message came through.

Jack: When are you leaving?

Hudson: ASAP

Jack: I'll meet you at the store in ten minutes

I hurried inside and put away the groceries I'd bought and made a mental note of what to pick up on the way back from Sacramento. As soon as I was done, I walked back out to my car and drove to Nuts and Bolts. The only person on the street was Jack who was standing out front in a pair of clean jeans and a T-shirt, leaning against one of the wooden pillars.

"Hey, need a lift?" I asked when I pulled up, making him smile.

"I don't take rides from strangers," he said as he walked toward the passenger side.

"Good thing I'm not a stranger," I said as he slid into the seat.

"What are you going to Sacramento for?" he asked as we passed the city limits sign.

"I just want to get more of my clothes and stop at a grocery store."

"They tend to only carry the basics in town. Most people go for a big shopping trip out of town at least once a month," he said and glanced out the window at the big grain silos on the south side of town.

"I forgot about that until I was shopping for the week at the Stop and Shop, and they didn't have my coffee."

"They're hit or miss. It depends how long it's been since Greg has ordered," Jack said and leaned forward enough to look through the rearview mirror as Foggy Basin got farther away in the distance.

"So, how long have you lived in Foggy Basin?" I asked. He turned to me with the same wide-eyed look he'd given me when he was worried he wouldn't have a job. "I'm just curious, I don't remember you living there when I was younger."

"We've always lived there. You might know my brother Pete, he's a couple of years older."

I didn't know a Pete, and I wasn't willing to tell him he'd have been four or five when I left for college. "What are your parents' names?"

"Logan and Mert Hulbert. They got married just out of high school, and both grew up there. Apparently, it's a family tradition," he said with a cringe.

I smiled at his words as we drove past the green fields that surrounded Foggy Basin and butted right up to the foothills in the distance. "It really is beautiful here," I said and turned up the radio.