Hay Season

Chapter 21

Mattie

His drinking got worse, and his gambling. I kept praying and praising God. I didn't know all the people it had to affect before God would deal with him. ~ Susan Sanford ~

My father took my news better than I thought he would. For being well known in this town, he's quiet and reserved. His fair rulings and upstanding behavior in the chair earned his respect. For once, a parent in this town seems to have compassion. Why was I so scared to come out of the closet? Maybe it's because the man I went out of town with isn't the man I grew up with. Something's different. He's changed. The only hint that he's still the same man was his request that I keep my secret a secret until graduation. When that happens, I won't be his problem anymore. Still, I'm stumped. The guy who's at the top of his game for knowing people can't figure out what's different about his own father.

~Our Hometown of Dewbridge/Journal Entry by Tad Roberts

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"Something's up with him."

"Who?"

I look up from where my head is lying in Rylan's lap. He's reading from a book he has to complete for an English assignment while I flip through one of Darby's magazines. Our porch has added a new member, and personally, I think he's the best-looking one out of the bunch. I'm biased, though. A gas heater in the center keeps the chill away, but I still shiver from the icy winds that have picked up the last few hours. Snow in Mississippi is a rarity, but every few years, we get enough to build a snowman, albeit a short-lived one. Tad slumps into a rocker nearby.

"My father. When I confessed that I was gay, he didn't even flinch. No reaction. Nothing."

I shrug. "He did ask you to keep it a secret until graduation. Maybe he's not the blow it out of proportion type of man."

He cuts his eyes in my direction.

"Okay, maybe he can be, but that doesn't necessarily mean something's up with him."

"Maybe his workload has been too much for him to take your revelation into perspective," Rylan suggests. I heard his docket has been full the last few weeks."

"I heard one of your best players was on there."

Rylan frowned. "Don't remind me. That cost us our game with Metford. One fucking point, and we would have had it."

I interrupt before this conversation turns into a foreign language for me.

"Honestly, you're not the only one questioning your parent's sanity. My mom has been acting strange lately, too. Maybe they've been abducted by aliens and being used for their extraterrestrial experiments."

"Or you two have watched too many episodes of that new crime show ya'll have become addicted to."

I glance at Tad. He's giving Rylan the same horrified expression I know is showing on my face.

"Never!" we answer simultaneously.

"That's not possible," I add.

Laying his book aside, Rylan leans over to kiss me on the forehead before softly rocking our hammock. He absently plays with my hair while he studies us.

"I've never realized this before, but for two people that lead such different lives, you sure have a lot in common and look an awful lot alike."

"Easily explainable, Watson." Tad's impersonation of Sherlock is sadly lacking. His accent sounds like ... there are no words to describe it. It's laughable at best. "Scientifically speaking, spending an entire life with someone can lead them to have mirror personalities. Close friends often share similar characteristics."

I smile. "What he said."

We all look up when a horn honks from the road. Two massive trucks are lined up with football players, their letterman jackets evident from the front porch. Cheerleaders are decked out in their name-brand blue jeans and North Face jackets to help guard them from the wind. Of course, most have football players wrapped around them to help with the cold. Ladonna waves from the front passenger seat of the truck. Her smirk is enough to make me want to slap her, but unfortunately, I'm not the violent type. We're on break, and there are only three more days until Christmas. I share a look with Tad, who winks before waving at the girls in the truck. All of them wave back enthusiastically, and I can't help but laugh. If they only knew.

"Rylan!" Michael yells from the truck driver's seat that Ladonna's in. "Get together at Mathinson's. You in?"

Sitting up, I run a hand through my hair to straighten out the pieces Rylan was absently playing with. He seems unsure, and it makes me sad.

"Go." Grabbing his hand, I squeeze. "They're your team. Don't shut them out because Ladonna has declared war on me. They need you."

"Besides," Tad adds. "She has me to keep her company."

I smile. "See."

Tad jumps up when I stand and puts an arm around me. Rylan sizes us up.

"I'd be worried if you weren't so interested in the male species. You spend more time with my girl than I do."

Tad's eyebrows rise. "Point taken. No worries. She doesn't have all the parts I require."

That was more than I bargained for.

He laughs. "You should see your face right now. TMI right? Okay, off you go." He makes a shooing motion toward Rylan with his hand while the horn honks again. "Your chariot awaits. We aren't going anywhere. Come on, Mattie. Your mom should be done in the kitchen by now. She promised me we'd start on that new crossword puzzle this afternoon."