Here With Me

He hands me one of the mugs of coffee, and I take a sip. Noel makes the best coffee—way better than that weak shit they’ll serve us at the Denny’s.

My little sister put her head down and worked alongside me, doing whatever it took to keep this orchard running. I’ve always watched out for her, and I know this guy loves her as much as I do. We’ve had a rough road, but I can trust him with her.

My cap is pulled low over my eyes, and I take the dirt road at a slow clip so as not to kick up dust all over everything. The sun isn’t quite up yet, and the mist rises over the rows of peach trees stretching up the hill. The place kind of glows, and as much as it wears on me, it’s beautiful this time of year.

It’s our family’s land.

It’s our legacy.

I take another sip of good coffee, and Taron looks out the window a beat before breaking the silence. “Crossing the yard this morning, I saw a gold Prius parked behind the peach shed.”

Silence fills the cab. It’s punctuated by the noise of tire wheels on the dirt road, and he’s looking at me like he expects an explanation.

I take another sip of coffee.

The problem with being friends with a guy for ten years and serving in the Marines with him and having him live on your place is he won’t let you get away with shit.

“Why was Mindy at the house last night?” A grin is in his tone. A gotcha.

We drive on for a bit longer, and I know he’s waiting for some reply. “It’s not what you think.”

“So set me straight.” He’s grinning, but I’m not.

I’m also not talking about it.

“Mindy’s a pretty girl. She’s smart and talented. She’d make a good wife.”

“I’ll tell her you said that.”

“Ah, man…” He looks out the window a minute, and when he turns back, all joking is gone. “You were always so wise. You always knew what to do. Why can’t you see what’s right in front of you?”

The road changes from dirt to asphalt, and we’re almost to our destination. Thankfully. “You ever think about what happened to us in Mexico?”

“I’ll never forget what I did.” His voice goes quiet, and I wish I hadn’t brought it up. “But I think about it less now, with Noel, Dove…”

“I think about it every day.”

“Did you do the therapy?”

I briefly recall the few sessions I attended. A perky young woman with bright blue eyes asking me how I felt, wanting me to tell her all about my feelings. Right.

“It wasn’t for me.”

My friend drops his chin and exhales a short laugh. “Why am I not surprised by that?”

We’re at the truck stop, and I pull into a space, shifting into park and killing the engine.

“My daddy would say it’s better to keep quiet and let people think you’re ignorant. Don’t open your mouth and prove them right.”

An empathetic grin is on his face, and he grabs my shoulder before we get out. “Still, it helps to do the work. Get that shit out of your head.”

“I’d rather sweat it out.”

“We got plenty of that on the horizon,” he chuckles. “It’s a type of therapy I love, being outside, breathing the fresh air. I could do it forever.”

“Come on. We need to be sure we’re on the schedule or this summer will feel like forever.”

Inside the restaurant, Taron smiles and greets Flo the waitress, then he starts shaking hands with the old timers, shooting the shit as they stand around drinking weak coffee. Taron fit in here like a round peg.