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It wasn’t just that I’d moved away. Because of Holly’s anxiety over traveling, I’d rarely visited. Even when Dad was so sick we hadn’t been sure how much time he had left, I’d only made it home once because leaving Holly behind had also led to a meltdown.
Thankfully, Dad had gotten treatment and had more years ahead, but guilt still ate at me. Kevin had only been nineteen at the time, and he’d put his life on hold because I’d been in denial about the way I lived mine.
The least I could do now that I was here was make up for it the best I could—and that meant not taking away time Garrett could spend with Kevin.
“How are the house repairs going, anyway?” Kevin asked. “I never really pegged you as the handyman type.”
I pulled a face. “Um, you know, it’s a process.”
“I bet.” Kevin’s face scrunched, giving away what he thought of me buying a fixer-upper, which was a fair resemblance to Toby’s expression when I’d first shown him the house. “That thing has seen better days.”
“It was a good opportunity to get out of Mom and Dad’s hair,” I said, a touch defensive because approximately no one had thought it was a good idea, and part of me was wondering if they were right. “I thought about renting, but Toby is still struggling to accept the idea that our move here is not temporary. He thinks his mom and I will make up. I can only tell him so many times we’re here to stay, you know? I had to show it.”
“With a permanent home,” Garrett said with a nod. “Divorces are hard on kids. Of all ages. Darren had a tough time with mine, and he was already a teen.”
Kevin cuddled in against Garrett. “Divorce isn’t so easy on husbands and fathers either, from what I’ve seen.” He glanced at me. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, Hunter.”
“What have you done with the real Kevin?” I joked, because it was easier than letting emotions get the best of me. “You’re clearly a pod person.”
Kevin punched me in the arm, which kind of hurt. All that dancing in drag must have been keeping him in shape.
“Ow.” I rubbed my biceps. “No need to bruise me.”
“Well, clearly you don’t want me to be nice.”
“I just don’t want you to strain something,” I said sweetly.
Kevin stuck out his tongue, and Garrett ignored our sibling antics as if the conversation had never been interrupted.
“I know it’s challenging now, but when you get that place done, you’re gonna feel great about it,” Garrett said. “Granville needs more folks who will restore the historic homes in town.”
Kevin leaned forward, and in a stage whisper, said, “He means old eyesores.”
Garrett rolled his eyes. “Kids? What are you gonna do? They have no appreciation for history.”
Kevin smacked his gut. “Hey, now. Don’t make me call you an old man.”
“Is this some kind of weird foreplay?” I joked. “I think I’ll take the truck and get out of here before I hear my brother call you Daddy.”
Kevin was still cussing me out when I got in the truck and fired it up with a grin. Next stop: Moore Hardware. Then, wrangling a hundred-pound hot-water heater in and out of Garrett’s pickup, then into my house and down the basement stairs before removing the old one, putting this one in, and returning to the school to pick up Toby.
In three hours.
What could go wrong with that plan?
* * *
CLARK
“Okay,GrasshopPeers, listen up! We have to start finalizing our spring projects.”
I tapped the whiteboard with the tip of my dry-erase marker to capture the attention of my after-school club members, who weren’t quite settled into thinking mode yet. As they quieted, I continued, “We’re focusing on the town’s 150th anniversary, and I’m a big history nerd, so you know what that means.”
Groans and moans erupted, along with a few outright boos. I chuckled, not bothered. The mentoring program was meant to give young people a voice, not punish them for expressing it. I wanted to empower them, because those boos would one day lead to confident leaders not afraid to take a stand.
I didn’t say all that, because it would only get me more boos.
“It’ll be fun!” I promised.
