Summer Sweat (Spruce Texas)

The moment I spot him, he seems to spot me too, and a smile washes over his face. He waves me over. Since Jimmy and Bobby took off to do their own thing, I oblige. “Hey, there,” I greet Lance and Bonnie. “How’re y’all? Happy fourth, by the way.”

“Happy fourth!” sings Bonnie, a glass of wine in her hand. “You’re Hoyt, right? The new kiddo working for Gary?”

Lance grimaces and leans into her, answering on my behalf. “Not anymore. Jimmy and Bobby stole him away to work at their new gym like a pair of thieves.”

I laugh. “Well, it didn’t go down like that exactly …”

“It’s a more exciting version of the truth,” reasons Lance.

“Gary was really great to me,” I assure her. “I just think the fast-paced, hectic nature of the gym works better for me.”

“Phew, you are brave,” says Bonnie. “I tried taking Kirkland Junior there and had a panic attack when I couldn’t find him. The bugger had run off and met up with some friends at the jungle gym in the kid zone. I think Kirk might’ve gotten a membership. He’s been trying to get back into shape the past several years, but with a kid and his stressful job …”

“He and I both,” says Lance with a roll of his eyes. “I had all sorts of high hopes moving in with Chad, starting up this business with Cassie, and now I feel like a slug when it comes to having any extra energy to do anything, let alone stay fit. Meanwhile, Chad is still a brick house of solid muscle running his ranch, that asshole, making it look easy.”

I notice his absence. “Where is he, by the way?”

“Oh, he has all sorts of stuff he’s finishing up at the ranch. I’m sure he’ll be by for the fireworks … at which time I believe Cody and Trey will be leaving.” He grimaces and leans in to quietly add, “Trey is insisting it’s because they have plans with his dad, but the real reason is that Cody is sensitive to the fireworks. I’m pretty sure Tanner said they’d happily go without them, but Cody insisted they do it for the kids who love them. He didn’t want to rob them of the fun, y’know? Cody is such an amazing human being. Did you know back when he was in the Army, he saved his best friend Pete’s life by throwing himself between him and a freakin’ bomb?”

“I don’t think it was a bomb,” says Bonnie, who also leaned in to listen, nearly spilling her wine. Then she frowns. “Or was it …?”

“Well, it was something that lodged a bunch of shrapnel in his body. I heard the whole story from Marybeth at the clinic. Do you know her daughter Jeanie?” Lance asks me suddenly. “I think she was a grade or two ahead of you? Into art? Never mind. Anyway, that’s how Cody and Trey met. Trey was his nurse, or his physical therapist, or … something … I might be confusing things.”

“You’re always confusing things,” teases Bonnie.

“I’m just trying to keep my card in the Spruce Gossip Club!” he defends himself with an innocent lift of his hands.

I glance over my shoulder, scoping the rest of the faces here. I spot another football buddy of Tanner’s whose name I can’t recall. He’s with his girlfriend, too. There are some other faces I certainly don’t know, which is making me realize this whole “gathering” has gotten a lot bigger than I think it was originally intended to be. When Jimmy offhandedly mentioned this Fourth of July thing, I got the impression it was just a few friends. Not half the town.

But the one person I truly did expect to come doesn’t seem to be here. Tanner’s best friend. The man responsible for every single emotion in my system right now.

A certain fucking Harrison.

Where are you?

“You know,” says Lance once Bonnie finishes telling another story about Cody, “I don’t think everyone’s here just yet.”

I turn to him. “Really?”

“Yep. I’m quite sure at least a few more faces are expected to show up. Maybe someone special.” He gives me a knowing look.

A wrinkle of suspicion touches me.

Why do I get the feeling Lance knows more than he lets on?

A burst of laughter from the kitchen draws my attention. It looks like Jimmy is trying to prove to someone that he can do handstand pushups, while Bobby rolls his eyes talking to someone else nearby. Jimmy keeps falling over, but refuses to give up, each time shouting, “No, no, I got it! I’m just havin’ an off day! Gimme room, guys! C’mon!” By the counter, Tanner seems to be laughing his ass off the most, tears in his eyes.

I don’t know how long I’ve been mingling and enjoying small talk with Lance and Bonnie, but soon I’ve got a hotdog in my hand, and I’m hanging out on the deck with several others while Billy gets busy at the grill firing up some more tasty meats, since we’re all eating them too fast. Marcus and Josh, Billy and Tanner’s kids, have emerged from their bedroom to eat, finally getting over their initial shyness. Marcus is more quiet and reserved, pretending not to know me, which I guess is okay, since he only started at Spruce High in the spring as a freshman. His little brother Josh is much more energetic, and if I’m not mistaken, he’s on his fourth hotdog and probably his third can of soda. I’m guessing they found their footing here in Spruce—and the Tucker-Strong family—just fine.