Twenty-Nine

Hudson

"Good morning, I'm going to go home and change before work," Jack whispered to me.

"Okay, baby. Could you get me a coffee?" I asked, suddenly wide awake. I wanted to call Dad before I left just to make sure he really was okay, and I felt the need for it to be a private conversation.

He smiled at me before kissing my forehead. "I'll see you at work."

I dialed Dad's number, not wanting to wait any longer. "Morning, Hudson," he said.

"Morning, I just wanted to check in before work and tell you I confronted that asshole last night."

"I knew you wouldn't be able to let it go," he said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, Jack and I made sure he knew we were aware of what he'd been doing and I told him we were getting a restraining order to keep him away." Dad was silent so long I looked at the phone to make sure it was still connected.

"Do you think that's necessary?" he asked.

"I'll know after today. I told him he needed to leave, and I said it in front of everyone at the bar, so if he thinks no one knows what he's been up to, he's wrong."

"Well maybe that's enough to keep him away," Dad said.

"Maybe, but from now on I'll be there and ready for him if he shows up again."

"It sounds like you've made up your mind about staying," Dad said with a smile in his voice.

"I still have a couple of weeks to decide," I said, but I knew I wasn't fooling him. Truth be told I'd had my mind made up after that first week, but I wasn't ready to say it out loud to him yet.

"Yes, you do. We should be headed back that way about the same time. Maybe you can tell me then, so I know if I'm retired or still working," Dad said and laughed.

"I'll do my best." We talked a while longer about the plans they had for the day, and how much it had changed up there since the last time they'd gone. But mostly it was the happiness in his voice I was overjoyed to hear. As soon as we hung up, I dressed and was out the door and on my way to the store, anxious for the coffee I'd asked Jack to get for me.

It was still close to an hour before we'd open but when I drove by on the way to park in the back, Jack, his friend Isaac, and Mr. Atkins were all sitting at the front in the rocking chairs like they were waiting for a parade to go by or some other form of entertainment. What the fuck? Jack waved as I drove past like it was just a normal day, but I had my suspicions. I parked quickly and hurried in half expecting Jack to greet me, but when I walked out to the front of the store they were all still there.

"What's going on?" I asked as I opened the door. "Morning," I said to all of them. The sun was barely above the horizon and the streets were quiet. Farmers were already at work but most of the town was just starting their day.

"We're just waiting for something," Jack said, and he and Isaac struggled to contain their laughter.

"Something?" I asked.

"Here it comes now," Isaac said as the three of them leaned forward in their rockers. I followed their line of vision to see an RV turn onto Main Street from the RV park. Toilet paper hung from the top of it all the way to the street, and the closer it got the louder the noise of clanking cans became.

"Who the fuck is that?" I asked, as Jack and Isaac rolled with laughter and Mr. Atkins grinned from ear to ear. None of them answered me but when it stopped right in front of the store for the stop sign, I could see who it was. "Oh shit, is that Gibbons?" I asked and scrambled to get my phone out so I could take some pictures.

Gibbons was hunched over the wheel with a hat on trying his best not to be seen, but we saw him and all of us laughed. But it wasn't over yet. As he drove off toward the freeway, there was a giant blowup penis tucked into the ladder on the back. "Oh my god, is that—" As soon as the words were out of my mouth Jack and Isaac dissolved into laughter. It was a full five minutes before they were in any condition to talk. Every time one of them tried the other would start giggling and they couldn't keep it together. Mr. Atkins smiled along the whole time, balancing his cane on the palm of his hand.

I sent a picture off to Dad with an explanation and received a laughing emoji back—apparently there was not one adult among us. "So, who's idea was that?" I asked.

"Well last night when you were dead asleep, I got the idea, and I called Isaac. The rest is history," Jack said, and looped his arm with mine. I glanced between the two of them and neither could keep a straight face. Apparently, Isaac had forgiven me, and everything was fine between us now. Which I was happy for. The less drama the better because we'd all had enough to last a lifetime. "Oh, and your coffee is on your desk."

"Thank you, baby," I whispered and kissed his cheek. "For everything." He smiled but I wasn't sure he understood what I meant. I'd make sure he knew soon enough.