Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 103(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 103(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
“I just want to spare Meadow explaining to Plum what kind of hammers Abby is talking about.”
Lemon’s always been a bit dour and strict, but Anchor’s helped her crack out of her shell. The apple, well, Lemon in this case, never fell far from the tree though. Before Anchor plucked her from the branches, Lemon worked hard with the family business. Now? She’s still not far from the rest of us. Bartlett could supply your construction project, Rye could build it, and Lemon could decorate it.
“What about hammers, Mommy?” Plum, in her wide-eyed five-year-old curiosity, asks.
“Nothing, nothing,” Meadow chimes in, nervously smiling. “Aunt Abby just has the strangest ideas of what hammers are used for is all.”
“Why are we talking about hammers?” Reuben chimes in. “They’re used for beating things down. Nothing more. Don’t pay your silly aunt too much attention, Plum.”
“Hmmph,” Abby crosses her arms.
Reuben’s had a hell of a ride. Loved, lost, and loved again, all while remaining dedicated to his daughter with all his heart. He’s involved with the family’s construction business too. It’s a good gig. There’s not a lot of reason to step away unless you want to do something else with your life.
“It’s a sex joke,” Mac, my younger brother, says, eyes shifting and smiling.
“What do saxophones have to do with hammers?” Plum snaps back at her uncle, who doesn’t look remotely like an uncle, and more just an older brother at this point.
The youngest boy, Mac’s always had that underdog thing going for him. Grew up with a lot of brothers giving him shit, and I’m not going to pretend I’m innocent in that regard. He’s still finding his way in life, and he’s made a whole lot of mistakes recently. Honestly, we all have in our lives, I just hope Mac calms down before he gets himself hurt.
There’s also Fig, the youngest of our litter. She isn’t at Sunday dinner today, and hasn’t been for a while. As scary as a word like mandatory is, one of the things that my family wholly respects is higher education. Fig is at school for fashion design. It’s her passion, and my parents have been behind her all the way.
“Don’t cause issues, Mac, this is a family thing,” I say, my voice level.
He snarls. “Trying to police the table, I see. Can’t stop being a cop for one moment.”
Remember when I mentioned there’s no reason to leave the family construction business unless you want to do something else with your life? I wanted to do something else with my life. I wanted to help people. Try to make a difference. I know police have gotten a bad rap recently, but I figured we need more good people taking up the mantle, and I want to try to be the change I believe in.
“Mac, I ain’t policing nothing. Just don’t be trying to expose your niece to something before her parents think she’s ready for it.”
Mac grunts. He’s got his own problems and demons. Lord knows I want to help him, but sometimes there’s just stuff a man has to deal with by himself, no matter how much others want to help him.
“I’m not concerned about Graham being an officer of the law,” my mom says, a sly smile on her face. “I’m concerned that he’s still single.”
“Mom, really?”
Rye laughs. “She’s got a point. Children one through four have all gotten hitched, Graham. That means it’s your turn, little brother.”
I sip my beer, shaking my head. “Don’t get your hopes up. I’m a cop in a small town. I literally know everyone’s business, even the business they don’t want me to know.”
For instance, I know exactly what the Wilkersons are up to in their garage, but as long as it doesn’t cause any issues for anyone else? I’ll overlook that it’s technically illegal.
“Don’t have your eyes on some charming local girl?” Bartlett says. “One you follow home every night to make sure she gets there safe and sound?”
“Nope. I don’t think Home’s shady enough for me to be shadowing some girl like we’re in a cheesy noir story, Bart.”
“Just saying. Women like a man in uniform. You should be beating them off with a stick.”
“I wish, but no. As much as I want to magically stumble upon some girl, I’m not as lucky as some of you.”
I don’t think I’ll ever find love in Home. The town’s too small, and most of our traffic is local. I’m either related to or not remotely attracted to every single girl in town. Even the married ones for that matter, not that I’d ever be a homewrecker.
Maybe if I left town, but I’m happy in Home. I want my career to stay Andy Griffith instead of it turning into The Wire.
“Oh, things will sneak up on you, and they’ll do it fast, son,” Dad says, taking Mom’s hand. He can’t be talking about her. They knew one another for years before starting to date. I guess he’s just trying to make me feel better about my chances.