The Wrong Brother

Chapter 4

MONTY

I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face after messaging with Iris this morning. I wasn’t sure how recent the picture she posted was, but damn, the years had been good to her. It made me feel a little bit like a creep saying that considering the last time I saw her she was probably still a minor. I only saw her on the off chance I was home on leave. All I knew was that by the time Maddox graduated from high school, the two of them had broken up. He was heading out of state to play football at a junior college. If I knew my brother the way I think I do, he probably saw a high school girlfriend as somebody who would hold him back. By that I mean he wouldn’t be free to hook up with all the chicks he wanted to. Not that I think something like a relationship would stop my brother.

Iris had my number now and I was hopeful she’d use it again later. From the sounds of it, she had a busy Sunday ahead. I probably had plenty of things I could do around the house, but none of that sounded appealing. Instead, I sent a message out to Des and asked him if he wanted to go jog one of the local trails with me. Gym memberships were good and I loved a good weightlifting day, but Idaho had spoiled me with its natural beauty. Lucky for me, Arizona had its own outdoor gym with various mountains and trails and it was the perfect time of the year to enjoy them.

A couple of hours later, I’m catching Des at the trailhead, sharing a handshake and a half bro-hug with him. “Thanks for coming, man.”

“Yeah, of course. Have you ever run this trail before?”

“I think I did in high school. My school had an outdoor club and we did a lot of hiking during the fall.”

“An outdoor club? You’re a sucking nerd, Monty,” Desmond teased.

“Fuck off, Des,” I push him off balance. “Anytime I could have an excuse to get out of the house and into nature, I was taking it. It isn’t like my dad was going to take me fishing or camping.”

Desmond snickered, “His idea of fishing is probably staying on a yacht and having the crew get something for him while he tans and drinks whiskey.”

“You have no idea how right you are about that. You ready to go?” I nod my chin to the trail.

“For fucking sure, see you at the top, asshole.” Desmond takes off, but I’m right on his heels. While we’re both going at a pretty fast pace for the first quarter-mile, we eventually slow down to a comfortable pace. Just enough to sweat, but still be able to chat.

“How was your first night in the new place?” 

“All fine and dandy until my dad called.” Des winced at the statement. “Yeah, it’s like he knew it would ruin my night or some shit.”

“Did he want anything in particular or just the same shit on a different day?”

Des hasn’t had the privilege to meet my family, but he has heard plenty of bitching and moaning on my part about them. Even when we lived states apart, I could count on him to hear my complaints and validate my feelings. He didn’t have first-hand experience with overbearing parents, but according to him, his grandpa was a lot like my dad. 

“It’s going to suck being in such close proximity to them. He was annoyed that I didn’t hire a moving company, but when I said you were more than capable of helping me, he decided to give me shit about not asking him or my brother to come over and help.”

“Ha!” Des laughs so loudly that it gets the attention of a group ahead of us. “Has your dad taken up comedy lately?”

“That must have been it because there is no way he was serious. He probably would have just hired movers himself. He seems to think that Maddox and I are going to be friends again. Now that’s a fucking joke.”