Seasons - Winter winds

Chapter 17

Mitch checked his phone as they traveled along I-20 W. The radio was on between them, and Nate drummed on the steering wheel, glancing at the man next to him.

"So, are we going to learn to drive a truck?" he asked, smiling.

"We should've done that before hitting the road," Mitch raised an eyebrow while continuing to respond to Dylan's message. "How the hell do you expect to teach me to drive this thing while we're on the damn highway?"

"It's not that hard," Nate teased with a smile. "I bet you've driven much heavier stuff before."

Mitch chuckled with a smile before shrugging and lowering the phone with a raised eyebrow.

"Care to ask me something, officer?"

Nate shook his head and checked the mirrors.

"Is Dylan already packing your stuff?" he changed the subject.

"He and Austin are packing everything, they're going to leave most of it ready so I have to do very little when we get there," Mitch sighed, looking out the window. "Oh... do you mind sharing a bed with me?"

Nate took a few seconds to ask politely.

"Explain better, please?"

"My old apartment with Dylan only has two bedrooms, and you definitely don't fit on the couch," Mitch explained, seemingly oblivious to what the first part of his sentence might have implied. "Austin said if you feel more comfortable, you can stay with him and Kelly."

"Ah..." Nate let out softly, licking his lips, taking a deep breath to calm his own heartbeat.

"So...?" Mitch turned his attention back to the officer.

"We can figure that out when we get there, okay?" Nathan smiled. "So... have you told Scott yet?"

Mitch didn't respond and looked back out the window.

"Ah, so we're still not talking to him?" Nate raised an eyebrow.

"When we get back, can you help me at Mrs. Mendel's house?" Mitch abruptly changed the subject, and Nate sighed.

"Sure, what does she need?"

"She still can't bring herself to... go into his room," Mitch licked his lips and leaned to grab the water bottle. "I was there this week and helped her with a few things, but she still can't bring herself to go into his room."

Nathan gripped the wheel and sighed.

"She asked me if I could help her move to a nursing home."

Nathan raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"I know some good ones, but I thought she'd want to stay until the theater is ready."

"I think she's feeling lonely," Mitch played with the water bottle for a moment. "She's facing grief alone in a house full of memories of her son. She told me some stories about him when he was little, and honestly? I have no idea how the child from her memories became the man in mine."

"Pain. Fear. Anger," Nate responded with a tense jaw. "All of that buried any good feeling he could have had."

Mitch bit his lip and looked back out the window again. It was the same thing Mrs. Mendel had said to him, and once again... it was a sentence that hit very close to home. Part of him was afraid of ending up like William Mendel.

"Scott Hoying, the Texas boy, released a new album, and here we have one of the new songs," he heard the announcer, and looked at the radio. "It's not easy."

Mitch's mouth dried up as the chords started, the guitar harmonizing with the piano and the subtle beat of the drums.

"I don't want to imitate God or something..." Scott's voice was fragile and gentle. "I just want to find what's best about me... to be more than someone that appears in a newspaper..."