Chapter 7

Bryson

It took far longerfor me to build the chicken coop and plant the garden than I anticipated. Maybe it’s because when I was a kid, I kind of meandered around, helping Gramps, then assisting Gram. Who knows? All I know is I’ve added a few more callouses to my hands, but the coop is sturdy and ready for some chickens. Plus, the garden is planted and the veggies that need staked are taken care of as well. I have a solid chain link enclosure surrounding the coop, including a dome of sorts, so that the predators that roam around at night won’t be able to get their fresh nuggets. Gram used to allow them to free roam, but she didn’t work shifts the way I do, so I made sure they had plenty of room to move around safely until I figure out how to manage that feat.

I snicker at the direction my thoughts have taken, because the dang deer will destroy my garden if I don’t protect it, so tomorrow, I’ll be heading back to the feed supply store to see what I can get to save my investment. I also plan to ask around about some chickens and a rooster so I can start raising them. At least, growing up in Possum Run I shouldn’t have a problem finding someone who is willing to sell me a ‘starter pack’ of sorts.

Now that I’ve gotten cleaned up and have eaten, I grab my phone so I can call Jory and tell her what I found with regards to what’s playing at the theater in Falls Ridge. It’s just one town over and there are a lot of food choices as well. Possum Run is my home and I love living here. I couldn”t imagine living anywhere else, but we’re pretty much limited with respect to restaurant availability. We have the diner, of course, and a bar on the outskirts of town that has a minimal menu, then the bowling alley where nachos, popcorn, and warm beer on tap are the norm.

While I don’t feel like she’s a pampered princess, I still want to show her that I put some thought and effort into our date. Falls Ridge has a chain steakhouse, but the food is good, the atmosphere is conducive to a date as far as how loud it gets, and while they’re always busy as hell, they keep two-seater tables available. There’s also a mom-and-pop Italian restaurant, where I swear you can gain ten pounds just walking through the door, as well as a twenty-four-hour place, which serves everything from breakfast to sandwiches to full entrees.

Since I’m not a picky eater and can find something at any one of the restaurants, I’m going to leave it up to Jory to decide. There’ll be enough time down the road for me to choose.

As the phone rings, I look out into the backyard, happy about all I did manage to accomplish. The feeling of contented exhaustion is odd for me, but it works, especially since I have a few more days on my hands until I can return to work.

“Hello?” Her somewhat raspy voice comes across the line, making me smile. While I know it’s a lasting effect of the smoke inhalation damage she suffered all those years ago, it still suits her.

“Hey, Jory, it’s me, Bryson,” I reply.

“How are you?” Her tone changes slightly, as if she’s almost shocked that I called even though I told her I would.

Granted, I imagine she dealt with a lot of shit after the fire. Possum Run is a great community, but I remember how divided it was afterward, with some thinking she had to have known what Tomlin was involved in, while others stood by her side. So maybe there were guys who did that but I’m definitely not in that crowd.

“Not too bad. Got my garden planted and a chicken coop built today.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be taking it easy?” she asks. “I mean, I didn’t know much about smoke inhalation because I wasn’t exactly with it when I had it ten years ago, so I researched it. You’re supposed to avoid strenuous activity, so unless all you did was drop some seeds in holes for your garden, you did too much there, and you built a chicken coop. Was it one that you just put together quickly? A kit thingie?”

I start chuckling because she’s fussing about what I’ve been doing, but it’s not in a naggy way, it’s actually very sweet. The fact she wanted to know more so she researched it says a lot to me about her overall character. “I tilled the ground up yesterday and dropped the seeds into their respective rows today. And no, the coop required a hammer, lots of nails, a few choice words, and several beers.”

Silence. Absolute silence greets me at my words, and I bite back my groan, wondering if I mistook things.

And then, she asks, “Did the kit come with the beer or was that an additional cost?”

Her giggles are enchanting, and I vow to somehow make her laugh every day. “It was an added expense,” I tease. “The choice words are ones I already knew, of course. I know I should be taking it easy, but this isn’t my first rodeo with smoke inhalation, Kitten, so I know how far to push myself.”

“You’ve had it before?” Her voice is little more than a whisper now, as if that thought never occurred to her. “Gosh, Bryson, I’m so sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for, sweetheart. It’s an occupational hazard, and trust me, I do everything I can to avoid having it happen, but in this instance, those two little girls had already been exposed to the fumes and toxins a house fire produces for too long. I’m a grown man and so is my buddy. We can handle it, I promise. Now, I wasn’t sure what you liked to eat, but we have a variety of restaurants to choose from.”

“I’m honestly not picky, Bryson. I prefer to eat somewhere we can easily talk, of course. Does that make sense?”

“Absolutely. We can go out to the roadhouse, or if you’d rather eat Italian, we can hit up Luigi’s.”

“Can I ask something?” she questions. Her voice is hesitant, almost shy actually.

“You can ask anything.”

“Are we getting the works at the movies? You know, popcorn, MMs, sodas? Because that might have a bearing on where we eat, don’t you think?”

“It’s not a movie in the theater without any of those things, Jory,” I reply, chuckling.

“Well, it’s been a bit since I’ve been to either place, but doesn’t Luigi’s have a sampler plate? That, plus their salad would probably be enough after gorging ourselves at the movies.”

Her voice is hesitant, as if she’s worried that I might not want to literally share a meal with her, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“You’re right, they do, and considering the portions on that sampler plate are big, that sounds like a great idea to me. How does tomorrow afternoon work? We can hit an early show so we’re not eating at ten o’clock.”

Once again, she’s giggling, but it sounds far more relaxed than it initially did. “That sounds like a plan to me since I’m off. Even if someone comes into the funeral home tomorrow, Mr. Grey always gives us at least a day’s notice that we’re needed.”

“I can’t wait to talk to you about your job,” I admit. “Because it sounds fascinating to me.”

“It is sometimes, but most of the time, it’s rote if that makes sense.”

Nodding my head before realizing she can’t see me, I state, “I get it. Every fire is different, but there are elements that are the same, of course. The key for me is to always be prepared.”

“Yeah, I get it, that’s for sure.”

We talk a little longer and I find that the captivation I had with her has increased. She’s well-read, she’s funny, she’s kind, and I can’t wait to know more about her.

It’ll only take about fifty or so more years according to my estimation. Chuckling to myself as I shut the house down for the night, I head to my room and some much-needed rest.

* * *

“Mr. Smithson has been trying to get rid of his girls for months,” the clerk at the feed store announces. “Here’s his number.”

“Appreciate it,” I reply, taking the number as well as the receipt for the feed I bought.

“Have a good day, sir,” she says.

My southern manners kick in and I reply, “You do the same.”

After loading up the feed in the back of my truck, I get inside and call Mr. Smithson. Once I have directions, I head back inside for something to transport the chickens I’m getting, causing the clerk to laugh. With the boxes now strapped down, I head out to Smithson’s house to get one rooster and five hens.

“Alright, girls, here’s your new home,” I say, two hours later. The feed troughs are full, the water barrels are as well, and fresh bedding is inside the coop. “Take your time, settle in, but just know that I’m expecting a lot out of you.”

Snickering at my thoughts, I head inside to get cleaned up so I can go and pick up Jory.