In the meantime, Rebecca had taken to cabin living with gusto. She was a natural at planning out gardens and had helped me design an even better greenhouse that I was planning on putting up soon. She was also a natural as a tattoo artist, and though she had taken several months off her apprenticeship to help me and then with the baby coming and her desire to nest, Gus mentioned rather casually that she was almost ready to take her test and end the apprenticeship. He had also been dropping hints that his retirement would be coming soon and that he might like to be somewhere a little further south. Maybe closer to where a giant mouse lived in central Florida.
We were preparing for the first bonfire of the new year, and I had cleared out a good portion of the yard, melting snow and creating a space where we could enjoy ourselves. The weather had been calling for it to be one of the warmest evenings in the burgeoning spring, and we were going to take advantage of it by having everyone over.
Carter and Lauren arrived first, quickly followed by Everett. The rest of the crew came quickly after that, and the fire was roaring as soon as us boys got to building it. Drinks were plentiful, but now that Rebecca was pregnant, I was avoiding having more than a beer or so in solidarity with her. She insisted it didn’t bother her, especially since we were both home, but I figured I could only party if she could and kept it to a single beer or two all night.
Everett was the odd man out, being the only one without a partner and kid. Still, he seemed to be calmer and more reserved now that we were all watching our intake a bit more than we had in the past. The likelihood of waking up to see him on the porch, shirtless and with one boot on, was extraordinarily lower than it had been in the entire time I had known him. Not that it was zero. The chances of that with Everett were never zero.
As the night fell and the weather didn’t drop to freezing level, I relaxed and enjoyed my friends gathering around me. Having Rebecca there with me, usually attached to me either literally at the hip or with my arm slung over her shoulders, made everything seem a bit more exciting, a bit more fun. She was the light of my life, and we were deliriously happy, but she also kept me on my toes.
I often joked that she was my connection with the youth culture of the day. She reminded me what technology was current and what songs I should be playing, and I kept notes studiously. She thought it was funny but still made a point to remind me she didn’t care that I was older. She thought the gray on my temples was sexy.
I was deliriously happy, and Rebecca described herself that way as well, in person and out loud when Carter and Lauren stood in front of us, talking about their own baby Carson and how quickly he was growing up.
“You will get to experience that soon,” Lauren said. “I just can’t get over how excited I am for you both.”
“Well, it wouldn’t be this way if it weren’t for both of you,” I said.
“Hush,” Lauren said. “This girl had her eyes on you from day one of you moving into this town. I know because I was there, watching her moon-face at you when you came in for breakfast.”
“Yeah, but I wouldn’t have had a reason to come in and moon-face at her if Carter hadn’t gotten me and Everett to move down for the business,” I said. “I can’t thank you enough for that, Carter. You didn’t just save my life in Iraq. You saved it when we came home too.”
“You can cut that right out,” Carter said. “I told you I didn’t do anything in the desert that you wouldn’t have done for me. You just happened to be where you were, and I just happened to be where I was. And as for coming to Ashford, you guys had to make the move. There was no promise that you would, and you made that leap. And as I recall, you also made the leap with her of your own volition as well.”
“That I did,” I admitted. “Still, we owe you both.”
“Well, I’ll take a hug as payment,” Lauren said. “That sounds fair.”
“Deal,” Rebecca said and wrapped her arms around Lauren, her extended belly making Lauren bend over at the hip to reach her.
“Bro hug?” Carter asked. “On account of your arm?”
“Man, screw that,” I said, pulling my friend in for a tight hug. “My arm’s fine. It’s been months. I’m good.”