“How would you know we argued after the funeral?”
“Everyone heard it.He stormed to my trailer that night all hyped up to fight.I almost shot him, but Dante stopped me.”
“You sure that was because of me?”My face felt uncomfortably hot.
“I haven’t seen him lose his shit like that since high school.Back then every time he lost his mind it had something to do with you.Like how he beat the crap out of me after our baseball game, that championship he showed up to naked.I thought it’d been about me missing the catch that would’ve won us the game, but it turned out to be about me giving you that peck on the lips after prom.”
“He did that in high school?”This was a whole unknown side of Josh.“Why would he have a hissy fit about this back then and now?”
“All I’m saying is he’s been running hot since you came back.Around you, he hits redline faster than a teenager in a borrowed sports car.”
“Then if I follow your logic, you and me dating would make him run hotter, not simmer down.”
“If there’s one thing I know about you, Erika, it’s that you’ll make it crystal clear who you’re dating.Which will be me.”A slow, self-satisfied grin spread across his face.“I’ll be the luckiest son of a bitch in the county to have you on my arm—and he’ll know it.”
My brain short-circuited under the weight of Drew’s spectacularly bad-good idea.He sounded like he genuinely wanted to date me, which was alarming enough, but there was also a distinctpoke-the-bearvibe.This wasn’t about calming Josh down.This was about lighting him up and watching the sparks fly.
“I work with him,” I said.“I really don’t need to make him angrier than strictly necessary.”
“It’ll work.And if it doesn’t, you’ll still give us a shot.We could have something real.”He paused, then added, like it sealed the deal, “Spring festival’s next week.”
He lifted a hand in a casual wave and disappeared before I could form a coherent objection.
* * *
An hour later I determined it time to sort through all the bills and mail on the kitchen table.My phoned dinged with three texts, all from Jay.
Jay:I’m sorry.We’ll see you on Friday.Right?
Jay:I found your hairbrush in my bag.Must’ve accidentally packed it up.Let’s talk when you come get it.
Jay:Thinking about you tonight.
The two wink emojis after that grossed me out.I blocked him.
In the middle of the pile of bills was a letter addressed to me from Dad.No stamp.There was a sticky on it that said:Send one week before birthday.
My birthday was in two months.
My fingers shook as I broke the seal.Three pieces of paper fell out of the envelope.
My heart raced so hard it hurt my ribs.These were his last words to me.
Dear Erika,
Happy Birthday.This is a big one, not in numbers, but you’re about to be done with schooling.I couldn’t be prouder of all you have accomplished.
Long ago you drew me an idea to expand the practice.You showed me the plot of land that was ten minutes out of town but closer to the interstate and put us within driving distance of several towns.I wasn’t ready then, but I bought the land a few years back.Now I’m giving it to you.
I wasn’t there for you after your mother passed.I drifted, and I let you handle more than you should have.I’m not proud of that.But I’m asking you to stop running.Come home.
Maybe you see Vision as small compared to your big cities.But dreams don’t have to be small just because a town is.Whether you admit it or not, you left a piece of your heart here.You need to come back for it before it’s gone forever.
Let’s build this dream you once had.
Love, Dad
The second sheet was the deed to the property.It was an old farm that hadn’t been utilized in twenty years.I’d analyzed the location for weeks when I was twelve before determining it was perfectly situated for a practice that could feed many neighboring towns in addition to Vision.The third piece of paper was the drawing I’d made in middle school when I’d plotted out a larger clinic, one with a hospital for the large animals and pastures for horses or whatever needed recovery outside.And a small animal clinic in a separate building.
