My Father's Best Man

Chapter 17

I didn't know what to text Fulton. It felt strange to just reach out to him, but that was what we used to do...

After getting on the freeway again, I felt a familiar kind of heaviness creeping onto my shoulders. It was the opposite of what I felt after attending Brooke's wedding. I rationalized it as my body adjusting to the reality; the high of being on the road should theoretically dissipate by now.

"The hell...?"

A few more miles before my trip was officially going to end, my truck decided to quit on me. I stepped on the gas, and nothing happened. So I pulled my truck to the side and popped open the hood. Smoke rose out, and it was hot!

"Fuck!"

This mess looked a lot more than what my father had taught me in an emergency situation, so I wisely called Triple A. Thank God I charged my phone, or else I'd be walking for the next few hours...

While waiting for the tow truck to arrive, I thought about what to text Fulton. Should I apologize or just pretend nothing happened?

And after contemplating for about a minute, I went with the latter. The sun was already down, so the text on my screen was extra bright:

"Where're you going next fall?"

I didn't wait for him to respond. It was dinner time, so he was probably busy with his family. The tow truck arrived, and the truck driver flashed his beam a few times to show that he was here for me. He stepped out of his truck and walked over with his flashlight.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. I was driving on the freeway, and it just started slowing down. I pulled over, and this happened.."

"Hmm... This doesn't look good. We'll have to leave it at the shop for a full inspection."

"Okay. That's fine. Can you drop me off at my house, though?"

"Yeah. Absolutely. Where do you live?"

He attached my truck to his and started his engine.

"You know the big house behind the church? Around the creek?"

I climbed into his truck and shut the door.

"Wait. Michael?"

It took me a second, but then everything came into focus... Fuck... He lost all his baby fat, I didn't even recognize him. My childhood nightmare looked ripped even in his overalls.

"How've you been, bud? It's me! Casey!"

He was going to slap my back, but my body was glued to the leather seat, so he couldn't.

"Yeah... Hey..."

He probably noticed I wasn't too enthusiastic, so he shifted gears and got on the freeway.

"You left to go to a private school, right?"

"Yeah... Just graduated."

"Oh, nice. Going to college next fall?"

"Yeah."

"Where to?"

"Boston."

"Cool. I knew you were smart back in elementary school. You were there till what? Fifth grade?"

"Forth."

"Right, right. I'm two years older than you. Kept forgetting that. It's just a small school, you know? So we all play together during recess."

Play...

"I wanted to go to college, too. Was hoping to get a wrestling scholarship. But then I got crushed at the state's. Dropped out after that and started helping out at my pop's. He was pretty upset... But I told him I didn't have any special skills, so staying at the shop might actually be a good thing. He finally accepted around last year. It's still a family business, you know? You still play the trumpet?"

"No... Got crushed at a few competitions, too."

"Yeah... There's always someone better out there."

He sounded like a completely different person. The guy who stole my lunch money was now an adult, making an honest living.

"Your sister's in Chicago?"

"...Yeah."

"I still see your dad regularly. Every 3,000 miles. No more, no less. Where do you get your oil change?"

"... Depends. Usually at some repair shop off the freeway."

"You know, you can't really trust these big auto shops out there! I'm not just saying that for our business. It's on the news! They did this undercover report. A lot of times, they would just leave your car in garage for like 15 minutes, and that's it! No checkup, no tire pressure, no nothing. Seriously, find a good mechanic, bud. Especially in the big city."

"Okay..."

I wasn't sure if he forgot what happened at the playground, or he was just trying to pretend everything was cool now. Either way, I wasn't going to bring it up. I was just hoping for this ride to end soon, so I wouldn't ever have to see him again.

"But it's tough, though, you know? We were almost bought up by a franchise store about two years ago. Had to sign this partnership just to survive. It's hard to stay independent these days. But, hey! If we didn't sign that deal, I wouldn't be driving you home tonight. You got a girlfriend, bud?"

"No."

"Well, there's still time. Especially in the city. I wouldn't worry too much. I actually have a date tonight. You might actually know her. She goes to your church, I believe. Justine? Works at the bank? She's a sweet gal. I really think she's the one. But I don't want to come on too strong, you know? That's when you scare them away. Like deers."

I didn't want to poke the bear by not laughing, so I joined in on his terrible joke. These last fifteen minutes were the longest... He kept sharing things about himself I didn't need to know. And after I saw the church, I decided to get out.

"Here is fine."

"You sure, bud?"

"Yeah. It's a nice day out. I can walk the rest."

"Okay. I'll call you and let you know what's going on with your truck."

I nodded and got out in a hurry. I didn't go around the creek this time. I stayed on the road and went straight towards my house.

The house lights were on. Uncle Ron's Mustang was on the driveway. I opened the door, and my sister was the first one to greet me inside. "How was the drive?"

"...My car broke down. It's in the shop right now."

"Oh... How'd you get home?"

"Casey... dropped me off."

"That Casey?"

"Yeah."

I didn't need to explain. She understood my frustration completely.

"Did you eat? We saved some for you. Everyone's in the dining room."

"I think I need to shower first."

"Okay. I'll save some dessert for you."

I nodded and walked upstairs. My neck felt tighter and my shoulders got heavier. I realized the heaviness I felt before wasn't from the sadness of my trip ending. The pressure came from being under the same roof with her and my father. The baggage I left to go on my trip was still here. And now, without my truck, I was stuck in this house until the end of summer.