River Town Box Set

by Grant C. Holland

  Ross looked up, and even in the dim light of the bar, Alan could see Ross’ pale complexion blush red. “I guess I asked about you.”

  Alan set the half-full glass of beer on the table and crossed his arms over his chest. “And what did Brody say? Does he approve?”

  “Oh, yeah,” offered Ross. “He said Diego is a great guy, and the two of you are made for each other.”

  Chuckling softly, Alan thought about the fact that Brody had never met Diego. He only had Alan’s word to trust. At least his friend was successfully warding off any other potential suitors. Alan confirmed the opinion and said, “Yes, he is.”

  “Can I ask how you met?”

  Alan didn’t want to bring up the conflict of interest, but he didn’t want to sound evasive either. He wanted to steer clear of the history at the border entirely. “We met in a business context. I guess we both got lucky.”

  “He works at Tar-Mor?”

  Ross was borderline nosy. Alan tried to make his voice sound stern while still friendly. He hoped that the tone indicated that Ross wasn’t invited to push any further. “No, he doesn’t.”

  Ross blinked three times and said, “Oh, okay.”

  A thought occurred to Alan. “Has Brody told you anything about the parade at the festival in June?” He still didn’t know whether Ross grew up in the Coldbrook Bend area or if he somehow found his way to the small river town to take a seasonal job.

  “I know about the festival, but they have a parade, too?”

  Alan nodded. “Brody roped me into judging floats. It’s a big deal for Coldbrook Bend. Maybe you should ask him about it. Try and find out who’s building the floats. I’m sure they would be interested in volunteer help. That might be a good way to meet new people.”

  “That’s an interesting idea. I was an art major in college. I guess that’s how I ended up here. It’s hard to find a job with a studio degree in painting. I thought maybe I could work on some canvases here while I manage the garden department at Home Pro. So far I’ve been too lazy to make much progress.”

  Ross gave out a lot of information in a few short statements. He was a nice guy, and he apparently had artistic talent, too. Alan thought about his office at Tar-Mor and asked, “Have you ever considered interior design?”

  Ross’ face brightened. “I love that. Have you heard about a job?”

  Alan shook his head. “I don’t know about a specific job, but I could use some help down at Tar-Mor, and I’d be willing to pay you for your time.”

  “Pay me for what?”

  “To spiff up my office.”

  Ross grinned. “That sounds like it could be fun. Yeah, I’m interested. Can I come down there sometime and look at it?”

  “Definitely.” Alan was ready to add another sentence when the door to the bar slammed. He looked up just in time to see Lewis enter with two men at his side. He recognized one of them from the grocery store encounter. The scowl marred an otherwise handsome face.

  Ross’ eyes opened wider. “Is something wrong? Did I say something I shouldn’t have.”

  Alan sized up Ross’ general height and weight and slowly began pulling his cell phone from his pocket. “Stay right here, Ross. You didn’t do anything wrong at all, and you might have an opportunity to do something very right.”

  27

  The Corner Hitch

  Diego pounded on the front door of Alan’s house. He waited for three minutes and heard no response. He considered sending a text message, but he didn’t want to stack the conversation and point it in any specific direction. He needed to talk to Alan. Diego was already tired of feeling like he was fighting the locals. He wanted to take Alan away and maybe Rhea, too. He bristled at her misplaced ideas about responsibility.

  Diego pounded again. He put his ear to the door to listen. Suddenly, a deep bass howl echoed through the house and roared in his ear. It was Boomer. He was home, but Alan was either away or hiding. Diego considered his next move and returned to his car.

  He remembered Alan speaking about the bar downtown in Coldbrook Bend. It was the place that Alan met his first friends when he moved to the tiny river town. Diego parked his car across the street and approached the door.

  As he reached the door, Diego heard footsteps drawing near. He glanced over his shoulder to see two men. One was broad-shouldered like an American football player, and the other was tall and thin. Diego held the door and ushered them inside saying, “It’s good to have more company on a night like this.”

  Diego stood just inside the door for a few moments to allow his eyes to adjust to the dim light. The bar was half-full, and it was too quiet. Something was wrong. The hair on Diego’s forearms began to stand on end.

  Alan and Diego spotted each other at the same time. Diego could see Alan’s jaw drop from more than twenty feet away. He walked toward Alan along with the two strangers. They each held cold beers in their hands.

  Diego was startled to see Alan stand and then grip his elbow as he approached instead of offering a hug. Alan whispered, “Have a seat here, and you’re going to meet Dak and Brody.”

  Looking at the other two men, Diego held out a hand and asked, “The two of you are Dak and Brody? I’m sure you’ve heard of me. I’m Diego. We have this impressive man in common.”

  As Alan sat again, he asked, “What are you doing here, Diego?”

  “I’m looking for you. Boomer’s baleful howl gave me a clue.”

  As Dak shook Diego’s hand, Brody said, “You were right, Alan, and he winked.”

  Alan looked beyond his friends toward a small group of men huddled by the bar. He whispered, “Everybody sit down. I’m worried that we’re going to have trouble.”

  Dak turned his head. “Oh fuck, it’s Lewis and his goons.”

  Alan nodded. Brody turned toward the door as another man entered and quickly joined Lewis’ group at the far end of the bar. Diego asked, “Is this High Noon in little America? What’s going on here?”

  “Hey, wait,” said Dak. “That guy who just came in…”

  “What about him?” asked Alan.

  “It’s Rogers. He worked on the boats with me. He’s not the brightest bulb in the socket, but he’s a good man. His body is muscular like a little bull. That strength often came in handy.”

  “And he’s one of Lewis’ friends?” asked Alan. He watched as Dak pulled a cell phone from his pocket and pushed a button.

  Dak shoved the phone back into his pocket and shrugged. “He was friends with whoever would have him. Give me a sec.”

  Brody gripped Dak’s arm as he turned toward the small group huddled around Lewis, He hissed, “What are you doing? It’s not even a fair fight. There’s five of them and only one of you.”

  “Who said I’m going to fight?” asked Dak. He turned and said, “Besides, there’s five of us, too, and that one looks strong as an ox.” He pointed at Ross who suddenly looked like a deer caught in headlights. “Let me go, Brody. I’ll take care of this.”

  Brody relinquished his grip, and all four men watched as Dak sauntered across the room. Diego grabbed a chair from a nearby table and sat at Alan’s side.

  Dak purposefully spoke loud enough so that everyone could hear his comments. He said, “Hey Rogers, who would have thought I’d see you here. Are you still working the boats?”

  The stout, shorter man turned toward Dak and said “Hey! Yeah, I’m still on the river, but I’m in the middle of my two-week leave.”

  “And who do you have with you? Is this Lewis’ little posse.”

  Lewis turned to face Dak, and even twenty feet away, Diego saw the scowl on Lewis’ face. Rogers said, “Yeah, he said there might be some trouble down here. He said some foreigner’s trying to steal our jobs.”

  Dak shook his head. “A Mexican, maybe?”

  “Yeah, I think that’s what he said.”

  Lewis spoke up and growled, “Dak, just stay out of this.”

  Shaking his head once more, Dak said, “I don’t think you get to make
that decision.” He gestured across the room and said, “These men are all my friends.”

  “All those foreigners should go back home,” mumbled Rogers.

  Dak rubbed the red whiskers on his chin. “Umm, Rogers, does that include that pretty little niece of yours. She’s from China, isn’t she?”

  Diego grinned when he heard the question, and he saw Lewis’ scowl grow darker. Lewis was attempting to appear menacing. Brody whispered, “Too bad I didn’t bring popcorn.”

  “She don’t count, Dak,” said Rogers.

  “Why not? And what about Lewis’ mom. He used to be so proud of how she was born in France. He used to tell anyone who was willing to listen about her life in Paris. I suppose he still does when he’s in the right company. She taught him a foreign language when he was just three years old.” Dak leaned forward asking, “Parlez-vous francais, Lewis?”

  Another of the men spoke up and asked, “Your Mom’s a foreigner?”

  “Don’t listen to what he says,” grumbled Lewis. “He’s just trying to protect the dirty Mexican.”

  “She’s not from France?” asked Dak. “You know I’m recording this whole conversation on the phone in my pocket, and I know where your parents live. She always liked me. I’m sure she would be happy to hear her boy…excuse me, her little boy deny her background.”

  One of Lewis’ group with a baseball cap pulled low over his face shoved Lewis with both hands planted on his chest. “What the fuck? Maybe you are just a little prick like everyone says.”

  Lewis pushed back against the man. He said, “Dak’s just a slimeball. He wants to use my mom against me. I bet he’s bluffing about the recording.”

  Rogers spoke up, “Dak’s a good guy. He always tells the truth. He stood up for me when a creep tried to lie about me on the boat.”

  Another of the men said, “Yeah, never heard a bad word about Dak.”

  Dak smirked and said, “The only way you’ll know if I’m bluffing is if you take the phone away from me.” He crooked a finger in Lewis’ direction. “Come and get it. It’s right here in my jeans pocket.”

  Lewis shoved his way past the men and headed for the door. “Where are you going?” asked Rogers.

  Lewis didn’t answer. The door slammed behind him, and Diego thought he could feel the entire building breathe a sigh of relief. The tone of Dak’s voice suddenly changed. He said, “The Corner Hitch is a place to be happy. A round for all of you guys on my man Brody over there.”

  Brody tilted his head to the side and mumbled, “What the fuck?” before he started to laugh.

  As Jake took the orders, Dak said, “You’re all good guys, and I’m glad you saw Lewis for what he is. I feel sorry for him sometimes, but what he really needs is a good six months of therapy.”

  “You’re not on the boats anymore, Dak? I’ve not seen you,” said Rogers.

  “Nope, I’ve had a bit of a life change. Let me introduce you all to my friend, Diego. In our tough economy around here, he’s making new jobs for truck drivers left and right.” Dak reached out his right arm in a sweeping gesture and encouraged all of his friends to join the group.

  As they stood, Ross said to Brody, “Dak’s always so quiet when he stops by Home Pro. He took my breath away. You’re so damn lucky.”

  “And you will be someday too, Ross. It’s not a matter of if. It’s only a matter of when.”

  28

  Goodnight

  Alan gave Dak and Brody huge hugs as they said, “Goodnight,” outside the Corner Hitch. He said, “You were like a superhero, Dak. I wish I had a video camera.”

  Dak shook his head. “I was a little smarter than that little weasel. Tonight it wasn’t very hard. I doubt he’ll bother you any time soon.” He pointed at Diego. “And you’ve got an awesome man here. We’ll leave you two alone. I’ve got to tuck Brody in, so he gets his beauty sleep.”

  Brody shook his head. “It’s more like I have to get Cinderfella home before he loses a glass slipper.”

  Alan laughed as he watched them walk down the street to Dak’s truck parked a block away. He turned to Diego and said, “Well, now you’ve met them. They’re incredible friends.”

  Diego nodded. “They are good men. I know you’re in good hands.”

  “They might have good hands, but I want to be in your arms. You said you had something you wanted to say. Should we head to my house and cuddle on the couch while we talk?”

  Diego shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I need to get back to Red Wing. I have some matters to clear up, and I’m rushing to tie up loose ends.”

  Alan’s brow furrowed. “Tie up loose ends? You sound like you’re going somewhere, Diego. Are you taking a vacation? I’d understand if you are. We’ve been through a whirlwind over the past several weeks. I wish I could take time off, too, but that’s tough in my first year with Tar-Mor.”

  Diego kicked the toe of his shiny leather dress shoe at a tuft of grass in the sidewalk. He said, “I saw those friends of yours, Alan. You’re in excellent company. They’ll keep you safe, and they’ll be quality companions. And I saw that blonde and blue-eyed man. He’s like a Minnesota God. You should get to know him better.”

  Shifting side to side on his feet, Alan asked, “Wait, why, Diego? What are you talking about? You’re scaring me. I’m sure I’ll get to know Ross better in time. In fact, I asked him to help me with the design of my office. He’s an art major. Wait until you see what we come up with for decoration. You’ll be proud of me, Diego.”

  “Alan, don’t you see?”

  “See what?” Alan looked around. It was not yet 10:00 p.m. and Coldbrook Bend’s Main Street was entirely silent. No one walked the streets, and the only business open was the Corner Hitch. A stray car drove along the street every thirty seconds or so.

  “This isn’t easy. In fact, it hurts right here in my gut.” Diego held his hand over his belly. “I’ve been nothing but trouble to you since we met again. Those men would have attacked you, and me, too, if your friend Dak didn’t get in the way. I saw the blazing hatred in their eyes. I’ve seen that so many times. I don’t want it to follow you.”

  Alan reached up and wiped at the corner of his eye. “Don’t tell me this, Diego. We got it all sorted out. Lewis is a sad little man who will do anything to throw his weight around. Dak took care of that tonight, and maybe Lewis will finally change his ways. I’m hopeful about that, and I have hope for us. C’mon, Diego. We’ve dodged so many bullets together.”

  Diego shook his head. “I’m going back to Mexico. I might take Rhea with me, but you need to stay here. You’ve got family, and you have fabulous friends. You’ll have a great life here. It’s your home. You can visit me and…” Diego choked up. “Bring that lucky man along.”

  Diego stared into Alan’s eyes for five seconds more and turned around saying, “Goodnight, Alan.”

  Alan tried to follow, but his legs felt like lead. The overpowering emotion of the moment held him rooted to the spot. He was helpless as the most beautiful man he’d ever met crossed the street and climbed into his car. Alan whispered, “Diego…” and for once the word tasted bitter instead of sweet.

  29

  Three Dozen

  It was already past 9:00 a.m. when Alan woke up. He slowly drifted into consciousness and realized the sensation of his mom trying to shake him awake in a dream was Boomer pawing at his arm. Alan sat upright and hoped that his oversleeping didn’t lead to any accidents in the house.

  “Were you a good dog?” asked Alan. “I was a bad person. I was supposed to take you out a couple of hours ago.”

  Alan pulled on the jeans and T-Shirt draped over the chair in the corner of his bedroom. Boomer followed him down the stairs and padded as quickly as he could toward the kitchen door. Alan rubbed his eyes trying to bring the world into sharp focus. He grabbed the leash from its rack near the kitchen door and snapped it onto Boomer’s bright red collar on the third try.

  It was gloomy and cloudy outside. It looked
like buckets of rain could pour from the sky any minute. “We’re not roaming far from the house, Boomer. I forgot the umbrella, and neither one of us wants to get soaking wet.”

  The weather matched Alan’s mood. He sent an email message to Elaine before he went to bed the night before. It only partially lacked in truth. He said he didn’t feel well. That part was correct, but he added that he thought he might be sick. Only Alan’s heart was sick. He knew that he couldn’t face a day of work in the office right after hearing Diego’s news.

  As he meandered down the street with Boomer’s nose burrowing through the grass along the sidewalk, Alan said, “I guess we’re back to square one now. Remember when I first met Dak at the Corner Hitch?” Alan laughed to himself. Of course, Boomer wasn’t there, but he could pretend that his dog was at his side.

  Alan added, “I was happy to make a new friend, and now Dak and Brody are two of the best friends I’ve known in a long time. I am in good hands with them.”

  Alan only walked two blocks with Boomer before turning around and hurrying back to the house. Thunder began to roll through the sky before they reached the kitchen door. Alan filled Boomer’s dish with his breakfast and added a treat on top. He pulled open the refrigerator door and retrieved a container of yogurt. With a spoon in hand, he set his cell phone on the kitchen table, opened the container, and began to eat.

  Even his favorite orange creamsicle flavor tasted off. He whispered to Boomer, “It’s going to be a long day.”

  The cell phone rang and clattered against the table’s surface. Alan didn’t recognize the specific number, but it was someone calling from Red Wing. With a glimmer of hope in the back of his mind, he answered.

  “Oh, I’m glad you answered. I knew that you wouldn’t recognize the number. Alan, this is Rhea. I’m the M-Trak secretary and work for Mr. Flores.”