On Monday morning, Bernadine was on the phone with a Los Angeles data recovery firm recommended by Barbie Weaver after her unsuccessful attempts to bypass Mal’s new password. After talking with one of the reps and getting all the info she needed, she ended the call and walked down to Lily’s office.
“Can they help us?” Lily asked as Bernadine took a seat.
“They say they can. We’ll need to ship them the computer, though.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. Did they give you a timeline on how long the recovery might take?”
“No. We send it and pray they’re as good as the rep I spoke with claims they are.”
“Crossing my fingers.”
Bernadine had hers crossed as well. Rather than descend into the funk of further worry, she asked, “So, is Tamar ready for August First?” It was a week away.
“I spoke with her last night. She says she is. Gary has the meat, chips, and the rest of the food and paper products on order. Clay and Bing are adding their grills to the ones Uncle Thad’s crew brought along. Trent said he and the dads will dig the horseshoe pits later this week. Not sure what other kind of activities we’re having, though. I should know in a day or two. I figure the kids will want to be at the pool most of the time, regardless of what’s planned.”
Bernadine agreed. Most of the kids were back. Roni and Zoey were presently in Paris and would be heading home after concerts there. Griffin was on his way to Pine Ridge to pick up Amari. They were scheduled to return later in the day.
Lily searched her face. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m okay if I don’t think about it.” It was difficult not to, though. “Hoping once we get some answers from the Dog’s desktop I’ll be better.”
“I think we’ll all be.”
“On a happier note, the Millers signed the contract for their coffee shop.”
“That’s great.”
Bernadine gave her the details, adding, “They’ll be taking one of the apartments upstairs, too.” She also let her in on Tina Craig’s interesting phone call.
Lily voiced her surprise. “Tina wants to move here?”
“She says she does, and I’ve never known her to propose something she isn’t serious about.”
“A bed and breakfast might do well here.”
“I think so, too.”
“A lot happened while Trent and I were away.”
“Yes, indeed. Mal. The Herman kids. Luis shutting down the Dog. Me sending Jack’s cousin Helen packing—which Rocky greatly appreciated. And Will’s wife, Vicky, has gone into hospice.” Bernadine took in Lily’s stricken face and nodded sadly. “I talked to him last night. He said she’s tired of fighting.” Vicky Dalton had been battling ovarian cancer for the past few years.
“That’s so terrible. Poor Vicky. Does Will need anything? Food? We can bring over some dishes he can freeze and microwave.”
“I asked, he said no. Just our prayers. He told me he and Vicky have been together since elementary school.”
“And now he’s going to lose her.”
“Yes.” The Daltons weren’t churchgoers but Reverend Paula was offering the family what support she could.
“I’m so sorry to hear this. I thought she had it licked after the last round of chemo. Her hair was growing back and everything.”
“I know.” Everyone had been glad to see her out and about this past spring, but now it appeared as if she’d be gone before autumn.
“I hope Will knows we’re here for him and his kids.”
“He does.” Bernadine stood. “I’m supposed to be meeting with PI Sandy Langster in a few minutes. Hoping she’ll be able to find out where Mal is. If the tech firm can’t unlock that computer, we’ll need him back here whether he wants to be or not.”
Her meeting with Sandy didn’t take long. The lady detective took the case and let Bernadine know she wanted to lease the office space at the refurbed hotel. Bernadine handed her a lease, and a check to retain her services in the Mal matter.
“I’ll keep you posted,” Sandy promised and exited the office.
Sitting there alone, Bernadine thought about all that was going on. The past seven days had been an emotional roller coaster. Her thoughts moved to Mal, but she set them aside because it only added to her heartache.
Over the next few days, Henry Adams prepared for August First. The horseshoe pits were dug, the foodstuffs began arriving, and Lily took suggestions for the games and other activities people wanted to participate in. To make room for the gathering on Tamar’s land, the tents of the visiting Julys were relocated and set up down near the creek. Tamar was seated on the porch with her brother and Eula watching the move. So far, none of the Julys had been arrested for anything, and she hoped the good behavior held.
“I think I want to add Little Brother of War to our August First wang-dang doodle,” Thad said.
“Why?” Tamar asked.
“To pay tribute to Eula. Back in the day, the chiefs would sometimes ask for a game on their deathbeds.”
Eula, who appeared frailer than she had upon arriving last week, smiled. “That might be fun.”
Tamar mulled over the idea of adding the ball game Americans knew as lacrosse to the day. “Are you going to play against each other or against a Henry Adams team?”
“Against a Henry Adams team, but we’ll put Griffin and some of the other Julys with your people. Last time we played here you all took a pretty good licking.”
It had been a football game held a few days before Trent and Lily’s wedding.
“Have you run this by Trent?” she asked.
“Not yet, wanted to talk to you about it first, seeing as you’re the matriarch.”
“I appreciate the respect.” And she did.
He gave her a slight nod.
Tamar made her decision. “Since Eula likes the idea, I do, too. I’m assuming you have enough sticks?”
“We do. We always travel with extras in case a game breaks out and somebody has left theirs at home.”
“Might be nice for the kids to learn the history behind the game, too,” Tamar said, thinking out loud. “Do you want to do the honors?”
“I’d love to. Be a nice way for me to get to know the ones that weren’t here the last time I visited.”
“Then we’re agreed.”
Eula said, “Thanks, Thad. Never had anything done in my memory before.”
“You need to be honored, Eula. It’s what family’s supposed to do. That old saying about giving you your roses while you’re living is true. You can’t appreciate them if you’ve passed on.” Neither he nor Tamar mentioned that it might be their last chance to make her feel special.
Eula asked, “Tam, have you talked with Julia about the two of us speaking?”
“I have. She said she has to think about it, and will let me know.”
Sadness dimmed Eula’s face and Tamar felt bad for her. A reconciliation between the cousins was warranted, but Julia carried a large helping of the July stubbornness gene.
Thad reached out and patted Eula’s thin hand. “Don’t worry, Eula. You’ll get your talk. Julia will do what’s right.”
“I hope so,” she whispered. “I don’t want to die with this guilt on my soul.”
Tamar shared that hope.
Eula struggled to her feet. “I think I’m going to lie down for a while. Will you wake me in a few hours, Tam?”
“Will do. Do you need any help?”
She shook her head. “I can manage.”
Watching her slowly make her way inside, Tamar wished they’d had their own reconciliation earlier in life so they could have enjoyed the passing years. In the days since her arrival, Tamar learned not only why Eula had been so standoffish growing up, but that her cousin played a mean game of dominos, loved Prince, and, like their nineteenth-century ancestors, still voted Republican.
“How long are the docs giving her?” Thad asked once she’d gone inside.
“Not very.”
“Sad.”
“I know. She said First Tamar sent her here.”
He didn’t seem surprised by that. “You two getting along?”
“We are. I was put out at first, but admitting this wasn’t about me fixed things.”
“Good. So, have you heard anything from my nephew?”
A different type of sadness tugged at her heart. “No and I don’t think we will, at least not until he’s ready.”
“I know he’s not a child anymore, but I worry about him.”
“I do, too. Bernadine shipped the computer to Los Angeles, so hopefully we’ll know something about that at least, soon.”
“We may have outlaws in our family, but I refuse to believe he’s been embezzling.”
“I do too but . . .” She looked out to see the last tent being moved. The land was now a wide-open field again. She turned back to her brother and noted how much he resembled their father, Trenton. “I don’t know what I’ll do if it turns out that he has.”
“You’ll deal with it like you’ve dealt with every other storm in your life. Fearlessly.”
“After someone puts smelling salts under my nose to wake me up.”
He smiled.
She thought back on Mal playing in that same field as a child and the awful years when alcohol ruled his life. “Mal may be many things, but he isn’t a thief.”
“Then hold on to that, Tam, and let it give you strength. The answers will come.”
“Since when did you become so wise?”
“Always have been. You’ve just been too mad at me to appreciate it.”
And once again, the past and her disastrous relationship with Joel Newton rose between them. “Why didn’t you tell me the truth about him?”
“As I told you before, I didn’t know how. I really didn’t. You were so in love and he swore to me he’d gotten divorced, but that’s no excuse for remaining silent. Every time I look out at that field, I remember that day: the bower with all those flowers, the tables filled with people. You may never forgive me, but the hurt on your face when his wife stood up is something I’ll take to the grave.”
“Sixty-five years later, it still hurts.”
“I know, Tammy. I know. That I played a part in it still hurts me, too.”
And for the first time, she believed him. They’d had a similar conversation during his last visit but this time his words and feelings resonated with a clarity that hadn’t touched her before. Maybe he was right. Maybe she’d still been too angry.
His voice sincere, he continued, “Aunt Teresa was the last of the original Julys, and you and I are the only ones left who knew her. That means something, or at least it should.”
“It does.” It made them the last living links to the family’s past and purpose.
“Then can I please spend what time we have left as your brother again?”
Growing up he’d been her friend, protector, and confidante, but for the past sixty years, even though he’d remained in her heart, he’d been her bane. It needed to stop. She nodded with a sincerity of her own. “Yes.”
He closed his eyes in relief and held out his hand. “Pax?”
She took it and squeezed gently. “Pax.”
“Thank you,” he whispered. “Now, how about you get us a couple of glasses and we drink some home brew to celebrate a new beginning.”
She stood and went inside.
Sheila Payne had graciously volunteered to be Jack and Rocky’s wedding planner, and for the past few days, had been hounding Rocky about the need to meet. After the third pleading text today, Rock called Siz and Crystal into the Dog’s office.
“If I don’t go talk with Sheila Payne about this wedding,” said Rock, “she’s going to hurt me.”
Crystal and Siz exchanged smiles. Rocky knew the idea of Sheila harming anyone was amusing; she was one of the most even-tempered persons in town. However, her threatening to throw up her hands and quit got Rock’s attention. “Siz, you’re in charge of the kitchen. Crys, keep an eye on the floor and handle the cash register.” Both had taken on the duties before, so she knew the place would still be standing when she returned.
Crystal said, “We close in another two hours. How about you just go home when you’re done with Mrs. Payne. You’ve been working nonstop since Mal left.”
Crystal was right about the hours she’d been putting in, but Rocky wasn’t sure about taking the advice. She was confident about their ability to steer the ship for a short time but she was co-owner; the place was her responsibility and she took that seriously.
Sensing her hesitation, Siz said, “Go. Handle your business and we’ll see you tomorrow. We can take care of things here and close up.”
“But, I need—”
Crystal cut her off. “Bye, Rock.” She made shooing gestures with her hands.
Rock dropped her head and surrendered. “Okay.”
Swallowing her guilt over not being on-site when the Dog closed later, she shouldered her purse and left to meet with Sheila at the church. It was a short walk, and on the way, she had to admit it felt good to be away from the chaotic hustle and bustle of the diner. Her breathing slowed, heart rate too, she guessed, and even though it was hot as Hades, the heat was a perfect antidote to being stuck in air-conditioning since dawn.
Reaching the church, she pulled open the door and was met by the coolness of the air. She found Sheila in Reverend Paula’s office.
“No Paula?” Rocky asked, taking a seat.
“No. She got a call from Will’s daughter over at the hospice place. I think Vicky’s time is close.”
Rocky was sorry to hear that and hoped her transition was an easy one.
“Thanks for coming,” Sheila said.
“Can’t have you quitting on me. Sorry getting with you took so long.”
“No problem. I know this whole Mal thing has you going. Anything new?”
She shook her head. She’d contacted everyone she knew with a connection to him, from the members of his AA group to some of his old lady loves. No one had heard a word. “So, what do you need from me?”
They spent the better part of an hour talking about guest lists, RSVPs, seating arrangements for the ceremony and for the reception at the Dog, before moving on to what kind of flowers Rocky preferred on the altar, and had she asked Roni to sing. “I talked with her about it before she went on tour.”
“Do you know what you’d like for her to sing?”
“No.”
“Get with her then and let me know.”
Rocky had no idea what constituted wedding music. She wanted to ask Sheila to take care of it, but seeing as how Sheila was handling everything else, asking her to add that to her already long list of duties didn’t seem fair. So, she kept her mouth shut and would rely on Roni’s help to select something appropriate.
Their phones went off simultaneously with alerts for incoming texts, and they laughed at the coincidence. Sheila glanced at her phone’s face. “Is yours a summons from Tamar?”
“Yes. Looks like the whole town has been tagged. Prep for August First.”
Setting the phones aside, they returned to the wedding plans.
Once they were done, Rocky said, “Thanks so much, Sheila. You’re a lifesaver.”
“I love doing this kind of stuff.”
“I’m glad you do, believe me.”
They stood in preparation for leaving. “I’ll see you at Tamar’s.”
Rocky said, “See you there.”
Leaving the church, Rocky was tempted to go back to the diner but, having been told to take the rest of the day off, she bit the bullet, walked back to the parking lot for her truck, and drove home. She still had a few more boxes to take to Jack’s place so the free time gave her the opportunity to take care of that. Once that was done, and Jack came home from class, they could go to Tamar’s.
After bringing in the last box, she set it down in the living room and took in the wealth of the rest of the stacked boxes, plastic totes, and suitcases holding her possessions. It was official. She was embarking on a new life. Admittedly, it was still somewhat scary but the small fear was dwarfed by the comforting knowledge of who she’d be sharing her new life with.
Hearing footsteps she looked up to see Eli coming down the stairs. “Hey, Rock.”
“Hey you.”
“That the last of your stuff?” he asked, indicating the box at her feet.
“Yes. The trailer is now almost as bare as Old Mother Hubbard’s cupboard.”
“Who?”
She laughed and waved him off. “Never mind. Are you packed?”
“I am.” His classes started next week, so he’d be flying out to California in the morning.
“I’ll miss you.”
“Miss you, too.”
“Thanks for being such a rock at the Dog this year.”
“Thanks for helping me grow up.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “Didn’t like you at all when we first met, though.”
“You weren’t very charming back then.”
“I know. That first day when you started calling me Oscar the Grouch, I didn’t know what I hated more, you or the nickname.” He added, “No offense.”
“None taken. I was hard on you.”
“You and everybody else here.”
“That’s how we roll.”
“Lucky for me.”
Rocky loved this new matured version of the angry, heartbroken teen brat he’d been back then.
“Do you know when I changed how I felt about you?”
“No, when?”
“The night Dad wrecked his car and you went to pick him up from the ER in Hays.”
Rocky remembered that night as the beginning of her relationship with his father. Thinking back, she realized she was already half in love with him but was too scared to acknowledge her feelings.
Eli continued, “I figured he must have been special to you if you were willing to drive all that way in the middle of the night. It kind of made me rethink who you were.”
“I’m glad, and he is special. Not many men would be willing to take on a woman like myself, but he didn’t seem to be bothered by it.”
“I’m glad you two are getting married.”
“Why?”
“Because I can stop worrying about him.”
“What do you mean?”
“Now that I’ve grown up a little, I realize just how sad he was after my mom died. He probably didn’t get the chance to grieve like maybe he was supposed to because he had to deal with me and all the stupid crap I was doing. He wasn’t happy. You made him smile again, Rock, and you’ll always have my thanks for that.”
Rocky’s heart swelled with emotion. She’d been so focused on the many ways Jack had saved her, she hadn’t given much thought to the idea of her having saved him. “Come here.”
He gave her the side-eye for a moment but complied.
“Now, bend down,” she said softly. When he did, she placed a kiss on his forehead. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For wanting your dad to be happy.”
“He deserves it.”
“I think so, too.”
Flashing her a grin that was a younger version of his dad’s, he said, “Now that we’ve had our mushy moment, how about you tell me which boxes you want upstairs.”
Working together they managed to clear out most of the living room. When they were done, Eli left to go and wait for Crystal to get off work so they could hang out.
A short while later, Rocky was in the kitchen making space in the cabinets for all her pots and pans when she heard Jack come in and say, “Whoa! I have my living room back.”
She called out, “Do you like?”
“I like very much.”
He entered the kitchen. “Hello, lovely lady, are you my new French maid?”
She chuckled.
He came up behind her, linked his arms loosely around her waist, and placed a soft kiss on her neck. “I think I’ll buy you one of those skimpy little maid outfits so we can act out a novel I’m going to write.”
Laughing, she asked, “What’s the title?”
“The Professor and the French Maid, of course.”
“Right. Now that the living room’s clear you’re going to be so focused on building that monster telescope, I could walk around in my birthday suit and you’d never even look up.”
“I dare you.”
She turned in the circle of his arms and faced him. “You need a keeper.”
“That’s why I have you.”
She studied him and hoped they’d have this much fun until death did them part. “Would it be okay if I bought Eli a truck?”
His brow furrowed. “Why?”
“Because he’s as special and as dear to me as his dad.”
“My Eli? Oscar the Grouch? The kid who’s eating me out of house and home?”
She playfully hit him on the arm. “Stop that, but yes, your Eli. Our Eli.”
Jack shrugged. “I guess, but he’s going to want to take it to California and I’m not comfortable with him driving across country.”
“How about I find him one online? Trent’s mom Rita Lynn and her husband Paul can go with him to pick it up.” Eli would be staying with them while attending school in California.
“That would work. So, what do I get for agreeing to Eli’s boon?”
“Boon? Who talks like that?”
“Quit hating on my vocabulary and tell me, woman.”
She answered coyly, “I could find a French maid outfit online. That a nice enough boon?”
His responding grin ignited one of her own.
Down the street, Lucas and Wyatt were on kitchen cleanup. Wyatt washed the dinner dishes while Lucas dried. As they worked, they talked about the invitation everyone had received from Tamar.
“Why does she want everyone to come to her house?” Lucas asked, drying a plate. He thought about the plate he’d dropped back in Cincinnati and the punishment he’d received from Evil Aunt Wanda, but put it out of his mind.
“Not sure. Gram just said we were going. Could be something fun. Could be work.” He placed the casserole dish he’d washed and rinsed into the dish drain. “I’m hoping Zoey is there, though.”
“She the girl with the singer mom who was in South Africa? The one with the gold coins?”
“Yeah. I’m crushing on her.”
Lucas paused mid-dry. “Really?”
“Big time. She doesn’t know it yet, but we’re getting married when we get older.”
Lucas’s mouth dropped. He’d liked a few girls back when he lived with his parents but he’d never thought about marrying any of them. He wondered if it was because Wyatt was twelve and he was only ten.
Wyatt rinsed a glass and placed it in the drain. “She and her mom flew home last night and she sent me a text when they got here.”
“Does she like you?”
Wyatt shrugged. “I think so.”
“You think so,” Lucas echoed dubiously.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure she does.”
Lucas thought you had to be real sure whether a girl liked you back if you were going to marry her someday. He wanted to ask Wyatt more about that, but didn’t think they knew each other well enough yet. Rather than risk making him mad, Lucas kept his misgivings to himself and picked up some forks to dry.
When they arrived at Tamar’s house, Lucas hadn’t expected to find that she lived in the country. Open land surrounded the place as far as he could see. Getting out of the car, he eyed all the cars, motorcycles, Jeeps, and the big silver RV parked out front. He was surprised to see a bunch of tents off in the distance and to hear drums. This being his first time visiting he asked Ms. Gemma, “Are the tents here all the time?”
“No. They belong to Tamar’s relatives. They’re visiting.”
“Are they playing the drums, too?”
“I think so.”
He and Jaz followed Ms. Gemma and Wyatt to the house. There were picnic tables spread over the yard with laughing and talking adults seated at them. He saw Ms. Brown, Uncle T.C., Doc Reg, and many others he’d met at the Dog but whose names he didn’t remember. Because some of them were playing cards and others dominos, he thought maybe they’d been invited to have fun.
“Our crew’s over there,” Wyatt said. “See you Gram.”
“See you.”
She headed for the adults and Wyatt led Lucas and Jaz over to a white picnic table where the kids were. The kids greeted them with smiles and made room for them to claim seats. The only unfamiliar face belonged to a short dark-haired girl sitting next to Amari. Judging by the smile she gave Wyatt, Lucas guessed her to be Zoey. The quick introduction that followed proved him correct.
“How was South Africa?” Wyatt asked from his seat across from her.
“Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. The next time Mama Roni and I go, I’ll ask if you can go with us.”
“Nice,” Wyatt said.
Lucas noted her southern accent and wondered where she was from, and if she’d been in foster care too at some point in her life.
Brain asked, “Anyone want something to drink?”
Everyone said yes, so he and Leah got up and walked over to a table holding munchies and drinks. While the Acosta kids talked about their trip to Mexico, Lucas found himself taking in the gathering and listening to the faint beat of the drumming. The entire scene brought to mind again how different Henry Adams was from every other place he’d been. It wasn’t anything like the subdivision he’d lived in growing up, or the cities he’d traveled to with his parents, or the ones he lived in as a foster kid. But he liked how relaxed everything seemed to be and was glad he and Jaz were back.
Brain and Leah returned with cups of grape Kool-Aid, paper plates, and two large mixing bowls filled with chips and pretzels. Everybody helped themselves. Amari was telling everybody about riding back from South Dakota on the back of his bio dad’s motorcycle when Tamar walked over. Lucas doubted he’d ever forget the way she’d verbally smacked around Ms. Krebs that day in Ms. Brown’s office. He also reminded himself to avoid getting on her bad side at all costs. Accompanying Tamar was an older man in a motorized wheelchair. He had two long gray braids hanging from beneath an awesome-looking white cowboy hat.
“Hey, youngins,” he said.
The kids laughed. “Hey, Uncle Thad.”
Tamar turned to Lucas and Jasmine. “Lucas and Jasmine Herman, I want you to meet my brother, Thaddeus July.”
They greeted him respectfully.
He replied, “I hear you’re my sister’s newest pups. Welcome to the family.”
“Thank you, sir,” Lucas and Jaz said in unison.
A grinning Devon asked, “Uncle Thad, are you going to mess with Tamar’s truck before you leave?”
Amari’s mouth dropped and he stared at his little brother as if he’d lost his mind. Preston, warily eyeing Tamar, moved to the far side of the table, which left Devon sitting by himself. Lucas had no idea what was happening but the look in Tamar’s eyes pinned Devon to his seat. In response, Devon appeared to shrink, giving the impression that he probably shouldn’t have asked that question. Lucas made a mental note to find out later from Wyatt what this all meant.
But Uncle Thad was grinning and said, “I’ll let you know, Dev.”
Tamar smacked her brother on the back of his head and sent his white hat flying before she whirled and marched off. Leah caught the hat before it reached the ground and handed it back.
“Good hands, Leah,” Thad said.
“Thanks.”
Uncle Thad put his hat back on over the two long gray braids and said, “Sisters are a pain.”
Jaz, hand on hip, said, “Hey!”
Everyone laughed at that.
Uncle Thad turned his twinkling dark eyes on her. “Do you know the significance of August First, Ms. Jasmine?”
“Does it have anything to do with knocking your brother’s hat off?”
He laughed. “No, but you’re quick. I like that. You could grow up and take Tamar’s place around here.” He turned to Amari. “Would you give the Lady Jasmine a quick rundown.”
So, Lucas and Jaz listened and learned that England freed their slaves in the West Indies on August 1, 1834. In commemoration, abolitionists in the United States began celebrating the date with picnics, parades, and speeches.
“They hoped the US would get the message and free its slaves, too,” Amari explained. “And after Emancipation here in the States, some places like Henry Adams kept the celebrations going.”
Brain added, “You should’ve seen the August First parade Amari and I put together a few years ago. It was pretty awesome.”
Jasmine looked confused. “But August first isn’t until Monday. Why’s everybody here today?”
Uncle Thad said, “To iron out the last few details of the picnic we’re planning, and to pick teams for what the Native people call Little Brother of War.”
Tiff asked, “Which is what?”
“The game known to Americans and the Europeans as lacrosse.”
Everyone looked surprised.
Leah asked, “Why’d the Natives give it that name?”
“Because sometimes the tribes back east used the game instead of wars to settle disputes with other tribes over territorial boundaries, personal disagreements, things like that. Some chiefs called for games on their deathbeds as a means of tribute, which is why we’re going to play. Our cousin Eula may be passing on soon, so we’ll play to honor her.”
Even though he looked sad about that, Uncle Thad turned out to be a lot of fun. He went on to tell them the Cherokee myth behind how the game of lacrosse began. “According to legend it comes from an incident known as How the Bat Got Its Wings. Picture this: land animals against the birds of the air. On the land team are bears, deer, and turtles. The winged team members are birds led by the hawk and the eagle. After the teams were set and ready to get started two little furry guys show up wanting to play, but the land animals said, ‘You’re too small. Beat it.’”
“That’s rude,” Zoey declared, looking outraged.
Uncle Thad chuckled. “Real rude. But the winged team took pity on the newcomers and said they could be on their team.”
“Nice,” Brain said. “When I was little, kids would tell me I was too fat to play, so mad love for the wings.”
Amari grinned and Preston did, too.
Lucas was enjoying himself.
“But there was a problem,” Uncle Thad said, continuing. “For the little furries to play on the bird team they had to be able to fly. They were land animals, remember, and didn’t have wings.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Alfonso Acosta said.
Alfonso’s sister, Maria, asked, “So, what did they do?”
“The birds found some groundhog leather left over from the making of a drum head and they attached it to one of the little guys and changed his name to Tlameha.”
Leah asked, “Which means?”
“Bat.”
Everyone smiled.
“But there wasn’t enough leather left to fix the second little furry, so you know what they did?” He glanced around at their rapt faces and when no one answered, said, “The eagle got on one side of the little furry and the hawk got on the other and they pulled his skin until he stretched.”
“What?” Devon voiced skeptically. “You can’t stretch somebody like that.”
Amari snapped, “Dev. It’s a myth. Just go with it. Okay? Jeez.”
Uncle Thad chuckled softly, “Thanks, Amari. So anyway, they stretched him and changed his name to Tewa—the flying squirrel.”
“Yes!” Brain cried.
Wyatt and Alfonso shared a high five.
Tiff said, “I love this story.”
Jaz asked, “So who won the game?”
“Picture this,” he said again. “The ball is tossed up. The flying squirrel, on the ground repping the wings, grabs it and runs it up the tree to his crew. The birds start flying the ball to the goal, but they drop it. Before it hits the ground, here come Tlameha, the bat. He dives out of the sky at warp speed, grabs the ball by his teeth and takes off toward the goal. He’s dipping and dodging so wildly not even the fastest deer can catch him. He finally makes it to the goal, throws the ball in and scores!”
The kids’ cheers drew smiling glances from the adults seated nearby.
Uncle Thad ended the story by saying, “And for many years it was traditional for players of the game to weave a piece of bat wing into the webbing of their lacrosse sticks for good luck.”
Lucas knew he’d remember the story for a long time. Yes, he liked living in Henry Adams very much.
Amari asked, “So, who’s going to be playing Little Brother of War for August First.”
“It’ll be my guys against Henry Adams,” Uncle Thad said.
Leah groaned, “So you can kick our butts like the last time we played?”
“As I remember, you scored two touchdowns.”
“Our only two touchdowns.”
Amari said, “Yeah. We got slaughtered. 56–14.”
“This time we’re going to put both your dads on your town’s team, Amari, and some of my boys will play for you, too.”
“That might help,” Tiff said. She turned to Jaz, Maria, and Zoey. “You want to be cheerleaders with me?”
Jaz replied with an excited “Yes!”
Maria did, too.
Zoey shook her head. “I want to play on the team.” She looked at the boys. “And don’t tell me I can’t.”
Amari said, “No one’s going to argue with you, Zo. We’ll need all the help we can get.”
She folded her arms. “Good.”
They were momentarily distracted by the sound of a motorcycle. A guy with dark skin and a long braid down his back got off, and there was a girl in a halter top and short shorts seated on the back.
Amari asked, “Is that cousin Diego?”
Preston replied, “Looks like it. Crystal’s going to flip.”
Once again, Lucas had no idea what that meant and wondered how long it would take to learn all the different personalities tied to the town. He hoped it would be quickly. Wyatt was right. Henry Adams did feel like a big family and Lucas wanted to be a full-fledged member.
He set his curiosity aside, and, with the others, followed Uncle Thad over to where the adults were gathered. The picking of the teams began. Griffin and Trent stepped forward as co-captains of the Henry Adams team. The Oklahoma Julys began arguing over who’d be their captain until Thad picked the newly arrived Diego, which set off more arguing. When Tamar stood up and threatened to end the fuss with a blast from her shotgun, they quickly deferred to their patriarch’s choice.
A standard lacrosse game called for ten players. The Henry Adams team, after fielding all the boys, Zoey, Leah, the members of Dads Inc., Griffin July, and three of his cousins, topped out with sixteen members. The Julys went with eight.
Diego said, “We could probably whip you with five, but we’ll go with eight.”
The townspeople booed him and good-naturedly threw empty paper cups. Ducking, he grinned.
It was dark when Ms. Gemma pulled into the driveway. Lucas, Wyatt, and Jaz went to their respective rooms, took their showers and got into their sleepwear. Lucas had finished the two Harry Potter books he’d borrowed from the library. Wanting to know when they could make another trip so he could get more he went downstairs and found Ms. Gemma alone in the kitchen making her lunch for the next day.
“Hey, Lucas. Did you have a good time at Tamar’s?”
“I did. I really like the people here.”
“I do, too. It’s a pretty special place.”
“Can we go back to the library?”
“Sure. I have class tomorrow night but we can go Saturday morning if you want. Need more books?”
“I do.”
She placed her now finished sandwich in a ziplock bag. As she stuck it in the fridge, she said, “When you get older, we’ll see about setting you up an online account with one of the book sites so you can order what you want—with my approval of course.”
He grinned. “Of course.”
For a few moments, she didn’t say anything else, just looked at him. He could tell she had something she wanted to say, but he wasn’t sure what.
“Lucas, I know I told you this when we were at the airport in Cincinnati, but I’m really glad to have you and your sister back.”
“We’re glad to be back.” His mind revisited the few short days he’d been with Aunt Wanda. The memories were still raw. “It felt like we were gone a million years.”
“I’m sorry she was mean to you.”
He was, too. “Mr. Gladwin said our parents left us a lot of money.”
“They did.”
“Can we buy you and Wyatt something?”
“That isn’t necessary.”
“But suppose I want to? To say thank you.”
“You can thank me by doing good in school, always looking out for Jaz, and growing up to be the awesome young man your mom and dad wanted you to be. I don’t need anything more than that, Lucas.”
He nodded. “Has Wyatt ever been to Disney World?”
“No.”
“Jaz and I used to go once a year. Can we take him so he can catch up?”
She didn’t respond at first, but seeing the tears shining in her eyes made him feel terrible. “I’m sorry. You just told me no. I won’t ask about stuff like that again. Please don’t cry.”
“No, honey. You didn’t do anything wrong. I got teary because you have such a big heart.” She tore a piece of paper towel from the roll and wiped her eyes.
Lucas said, “Wyatt and I are going to be like brothers, I think, so I just want him to get to do some of the stuff Jaz and I got to do. Do you think we can go to Australia too, maybe next year?”
She stared and laughed. “Australia? How about we see about Disney first, okay?”
He laughed, too. “Okay.” When he left the kitchen, she was still wiping her eyes and he felt good.