by K. C. Crowne
I let out a frustrated sigh, and the smirk on Hugh’s face let me know that he’d gotten the reaction he’d wanted. Still, I continued. “You know it’s not about fucking barbeque. It’s about doing the exact same sort of shit I came here to get away from.”
“You moved to the mountains to get away from barbeque?”
“Hugh, you keep this up, and the next time I see you you’re gonna get an ass-kicking like you’ve never known before.”
“Alright, alright. But tell me what you’re so damn worried about.”
I shook my head, snatching my coffee off the table and pressing the phone against my ear. “It’s not a matter of being worried. It’s a matter of not wanting to get involved in all this bullshit.”
“Go on.”
“You told me to get a job so I could blend in, not draw attention to myself. So I did. And now I’m getting invited to Sam’s barbeque block party.”
“And that’s perfect,” Hugh said. “You go, you have a couple beers, eat some ribs, and get the hell out of there. Then people will be even less suspicious of you, knowing you’re the type of normal dude who likes beer and burgers.”
“You’re not getting it, bud. The whole point of living out here was so I didn’t have to worry about other people, so I didn’t have to worry about convincing them I’m normal, whatever the hell that word even means. It’s one thing to get a part-time job and swing by one of the coffee shops every now and then. But if this is what I have to do, I might as well move downtown and rent a fucking loft.”
“You know you’re speaking to a man who lives downtown in a loft, right?” he chuckled.
“And you know that kind of life isn’t what I want.”
Hugh was quiet for a few beats. “What is the kind of life you want, Hunt? I mean, there’s nothing stopping you from getting rid of every single damn thing you own and walking out into the woods until there’s no one around you but deer and bears. Live in a cave, forage or whatever.”
“What’re you trying to say?” There was a long pause, and I got the sense he was trying to figure out how to phrase what he had on his mind.
“I’m saying…I know you’ve been through some shit – some rough shit that no man should ever have to deal with. But maybe you’re not as ready to throw off the chains of civilization as you think you are. I mean, you went out to dinner with that neighbor, right?”
“I didn’t go out to dinner,” I said. “There was a mix-up with some pizza, and she made me dinner to repay me.”
“Right. And you could’ve told her to fuck off. Why didn’t you?”
“Tell her to fuck off in front of her kid? I’m not that big a dick.”
“You know what I mean. No one put a gun to your head.”
“Get to the point, Hugh.”
Another pause. “Well, if you ask me, I’m thinking…it’s an unconscious thing.”
“What? Hugh, don’t give me any of that psy-op BS.” I got up and snatched my mug off the table.
Hugh, during his military days, served for a brief time in special operations doing spook shit. He never really went into exactly what he did during that time, but he came out of it with all sorts of lingo that made him sound like a college kid who’d just finished their psych 101 class.
“You know about the unconscious, how it makes you do things that your conscious mind isn’t aware of.”
“Uh-huh.” There was impatience in my tone.
“And you went out there to get away from everyone. But there you are, a few other cabins with other people in them nearby, having dinner with some nice woman and her kid. Hell, you’re still talking to me – no one’s making you do that.”
“And I’m really starting to regret that decision.”
“The point is…maybe there’s a part of you that’s not ready to let go of the rest of the world. And maybe you shouldn’t be so scared about it.”
“Fuck that,” I grouched. “I’m doing what needs to be done to make sure people don’t start asking questions. And if it gets to be too much bullshit, hell, maybe I will just up and go off the grid.”
“I wouldn’t put it past you, Hunt. But in the meantime, why not go to this little party and grab a bite? Maybe it’ll be more fun than you think it will.”
“I’m not planning on having fun.”
Hugh chuckled again. “Take it easy man.”
We said our goodbyes and I hung up.
I didn’t want to think about whether or not he was right. For the time being, I was happy living where I was, up in the mountains away from most everyone else. Mandy was a neighbor, nothing more. And if she was getting ideas in her head about me being some kind of friend or father figure to her boy, then she’d need to be straightened out.
Simple as that.
I checked my watch – a little after five. If I was going to do this barbeque thing, I figured the sooner the better. I could show up, make the rounds, grab a bite, then leave. Maybe I’d grab a drink before coming home to work on my place.
The drive to town was uneventful. I picked up a case of beer at the liquor store and made my way to Sam’s place. He lived in one of the more suburban parts of town – if you could call anywhere in Silver Pines suburban. It was a small neighborhood with ranch-style houses, the type of place where you’d raise a family.
It was peaceful. The lawns were neatly kept, the cars in the driveways were mostly SUVs and minivans. Kids played in the front yards. Mountains loomed in the distance, their grey peaks rising up over the deep green pines.
It was ideal if you were looking for that sort of thing.
I didn’t need to look at my notes to confirm which place was Sam’s. As I drew closer I saw cars parked along the sides of the road. My gut tensed at the idea of being around so many damn people. Even when I lived in the city, I’d hated small talk, hated the social niceties that seemed to make the world go round.
And I had a feeling I was in store for more of them.
I found an open spot, parked, and got out with my beer in hand. Over the brown fence around Sam’s backyard I could make out the tops of dozens of heads. The scent of barbeque was thick in the air, making my mouth water. Music that I recognized as REO Speedwagon played from a tinny speaker system.
I approached the gate, sighed, and knocked. It opened seconds later, Sam on the other side with a beer in hand, a toothy grin on his face. My heart clenched when, over his shoulder, I spotted Mandy.
The place was chaotic, probably a hundred people crammed into that backyard, the music mixing with the commotion mixing with the occasional splash of someone jumping into the pool.
“There he is!” he said, reaching up and clapping his hand on my shoulder. “Bud, I was halfway sure you weren’t going to show up.”
“Well, here I am,” I said, doing my best to not sound like a total prick who was in the last place he wanted to be.
“And look, the man brought beer. What a damn champ.”
I reached in and took one for myself, and Sam took the rest of the case and set it on a plastic table with the rest of the booze. I cracked open my beer and took a long sip, having a feeling I was going to need it.
“Let me introduce you to everyone,” Sam said, hurrying to my side.
“No,” I said, my voice stern. “I don’t.”
Before I had a chance to stop him, Sam had already turned around to the rest of the party and started talking. “Everyone! I want you to meet the new guy to town.” Everyone turned, Sam’s voice carrying over the music.
I liked Sam – he was a good guy. But at that moment I wanted to wring his skinny little neck.
“This is Hunter Anderson, and he’s about the best mechanic I’ve ever met. Aside from yours truly, of course.” Polite laughter sounded out. And through the crowd, I saw Mandy’s eyes light up as she spotted me.
“He’s here! It’s really him!” Parker. His voice was small and distant, but I knew it was him.
That was about all I could take. I put my hand on Sam’s shoulde
r and leaned in close to his ear. “That’ll do.”
He appeared confused, but my tone of voice left no doubt how I felt about being in the spotlight. “Uh, sure,” he said quietly. Then he turned back to the crowd. “Anyway, I’ll let you all get back to it!”
Eyes stayed on me when he was done talking, but soon their conversations resumed.
“Sorry about that, bud,” he said. “Just thought you might want to get to know some people here.”
“I’ll get to know then on my own time.” I wanted to leave it at that, but the last thing I needed was Sam feeling unsure of me. “But I appreciate it. Just not the biggest fan of being the center of attention.”
He grinned, and I knew my words had done their job. Sam gave me another swat on the shoulder. “Hell, I get it. Man who keeps to himself – I can appreciate that, you know?” He turned toward the grill, smoke rising into the cloudless sky. “Anyway, burgers and brats are going over there, but if you’re in the mood for barbeque, that’s all set up at the smoker. And…” he glanced away as if trying to figure if he should say what he had on his mind. “Glad you showed up, Hunter. Wasn’t sure if you were going to make it.”
“Yeah. Good to see you.”
At that moment, a guest showed up and led Sam off into the crowd. I kept my eyes on him, watching as he and the other guy went over to the side of the pool, a small group of kids there. Two of them, a boy and a girl who both looked around Parker’s age, exclaimed as he approached, their arms shooting up toward him. His kids. They’d come into the shop before, but I’d never met them. I watched as Sam horsed around with them, picking up the boy and tossing him into the water, the kid’s head popping up with a big smile on his face. A trim, pretty woman with dark blonde hair came over to Sam, handing him a beer and slipping an arm around his waist. They kissed quickly, watching their kids play in the water.
The scene filled me with a sense of longing. But I didn’t have a chance to think about it for long. A hand fell on my shoulder, and I turned to see Mandy.
“Howdy, neighbor.”
God, she looked like something out of a dream. The weather was mild, one of the first warm days in a while, and she was dressed for the warmth. Mandy wore a light sundress, the hem stopping right above her knees. Her cleavage was hinted at, and her arms were bare. She smiled sweetly up at me, her green eyes incredible, as always.
I wanted her like crazy. I wanted to get her alone, to hike that dress up, and rip off whatever panties she had on underneath. I could barely resist it – she was having an effect on me that was almost scary.
“Hey,” I said. Then the strangeness of the situation hit me. “What’re you doing here?”
She laughed, the sound sweet and inviting. “I’m here with my friend, Lizzie. She’s somewhere around here. Parker and I were getting a little stir crazy up there and decided it’d be a good chance to get into town.” Mandy glanced down at my hands. “But I’m seeing a definite lack of beer and food in those big hands. Hold on…”
Before I had a chance to stop her, Mandy zipped off into the crowd. I watched as she hurried over to the tables, putting me together a plate and grabbing me another beer. As she did, I spotted someone else looking her way. The guy looked to be around Mandy’s age, trim and alright-looking wearing expensive business-casual clothes that made him stick out like a sore thumb among all the shorts and T-shirts. He was stiff and serious and was watching Mandy with a look that I didn’t care for one bit.
She returned with a plastic plate topped with potato salad, chips, and a burger – in her other hand was a beer.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I said as she handed the full plate and beer to me.
“I know, but I get what it’s like being the new guy in town.”
My eyes drifted over the party, and I spotted Parker yelling like a madman as he ran toward the pool, nearly knocking some kids out of his way.
“Shoot,” she said as we watched him splash into the water. “I turn away from him for a second and he’s getting rowdy again.”
“Needs a male role model,” I said. I chided myself immediately for saying what I had – I didn’t want to give the slightest impression I wanted to be involved. But luckily, Mandy’s attention was on Parker. We watched as the man in the nice clothes went over to the pool, putting his hands on his hips as he spoke to her son.
“Hey, buddy!” he said. “You need to settle down, alright?”
Parker only responded with a laugh, spitting up a stream of water at the man’s fancy loafers.
“Shit,” Mandy said. “I think I’m going to have to step in on this one.”
Before she had a chance to get to Parker, the man turned from the pool and stormed in our direction. He glanced at Mandy, his gaze flicking over to me. He paused as he walked, clearly surprised.
“Mandy,” he said, stepping to her and not giving me a second look. “Parker’s getting a little rambunctious.”
“I see that,” she told him. “But you don’t need to be stepping in, Adam. I can handle it on my own.”
“He’s going to hurt someone.”
I looked over the guy’s shoulder at Parker. He was in the water, swimming around and splashing the other kids. He was being a kid.
“He’s a kid with other kids,” I said. “Of course he’s excited.”
The man furrowed his brow as he regarded me. “I’m sorry – you are…?”
“No one you need to know,” I answered.
Mandy sighed, as if what was going on between he and I wasn’t surprising to her. “Adam, don’t be like that.”
“What?” he asked. “I can’t be concerned about who this guy is butting into our private conversation?”
“You want to repeat that?” I asked. I’d known this guy for seconds and I already wanted to smash him into the fucking dirt.
“Adam,” she repeated, her tone firm and disapproving.
“Sorry, sorry,” he said, relenting. He extended his hand. “Adam Barnes – I’m a friend of the family.”
I regarded his slender hand for a long moment, as if unsure if I wanted to take it. His handshake was weak. “Hunter Anderson. And I was just leaving.”
Mandy gave me a surprised look. “Are you serious? You just got here.”
“I was only planning on swinging by and saying hi. I’m not much for parties.”
“Probably for the best,” Adam commented, arrogance in his tone. “It’s mostly people who know each other here.”
Man, did I want to smack the hell out of this prick.
Mandy glanced at him, then me. “We’re getting lunch tomorrow – Lizzie’s watching Parker. You should join us.”
“No, thanks.”
She smiled. “Come on – it’ll be fun.”
As much as I wanted to tell her no again, the idea of spending some time with her sounded…strangely appealing. Not to mention there was something about this Adam prick that made me uneasy, like I needed to keep an eye on him.
“Alright,” I said, nodding. “Fine.”
“That’s alright with me,” Adam said, his tone sarcastic.
“Perfect,” Mandy said. “Come by my place at around eleven-thirty, okay? We can ride into town together.”
“I thought I was going to pick you up,” Adam said, surprised.
“Makes more sense this way,” Mandy replied. “We’re neighbors, after all.”
At that moment I’d had about as much of crowds as I could stand. Every molecule of my body screamed to get the hell out of there. “I’m getting out of here. See you both tomorrow.”
After our goodbyes, I didn’t waste any time leaving the party.
Relief hit me the moment I was alone again. I’d moved up to the mountains to uncomplicate my life. But the opposite was happening.
And I couldn’t tell if it was as bad as I thought it would be.
Mandy
I knew Adam was going to give me shit for Hunter – just like he gave me shit for nearly every decision I made – but I didn’t
think he would start so damn soon.
“You’ve had that man in your house?” he asked, his hands on his hips. “Alone with you and your son?”
Parker perked up from where he was seated on the couch playing his PlayStation. He glanced at us, first at me, then Adam. Frustrated, I blew out a breath and glared at Adam.
“Come outside if you want to talk about this so badly.” My voice was a low hiss as I reached past Adam and opened the front door.
Adam stepped onto the porch and I followed him, shutting the front door and the screen behind me. I hated the way he looked when he was upset in his typical, judgmental sort of way. His sharp features would screw up and scrunch, his eyes narrowed like I was some kid he was in the process of scolding.
“Why do you care about this so much?” I asked. “He’s just a neighbor.”
“He’s not just a neighbor. You’re making it sound like he’s, I don’t know, friendly Mr. Jenkins down the street. He’s dangerous and unstable. Did you see the way he acted at the party?”
“It’s because he lives up here by himself,” I defended. “A man who lives that kind of life isn’t used to being around big groups of people like that. He’s an introvert – what’s wrong with that?”
Adam shook his head, not giving my explanation a moment’s consideration. “He’s a weird loner who’s up here for a reason, Mandy. No one normal person chooses this kind of life.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Are you saying that I’m not normal?”
He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, looking away as if he knew he needed to phrase his words carefully. “That’s not what I’m saying. You’re in a…transitional period right now.”
“Is that right?”
“It is. I know you’re still dealing with Michael’s death, and you’re grieving in your own way. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend you cut yourself off from the world like this, living in some cabin a half-hour away from civilization. Hell, I’d do more than recommend against it - I’m going to talk you out of it every chance I get.”
“Yeah, you’ve made it clear that you don’t think I’m capable of making decisions on my own.”