Page 122 of The Way We Touch

Behind us, Davis has crawled to his Rover and is now dragging himself inside it.

Garrett grips my shoulder, shaking me and laughing. “What the fuck was that?”

I look at the Goliath on the ground. “College boxing.”

“Boxing?” His voice is loud, and I can tell he’s happy. “What the hell?”

“I took it as an elective. Probably the smartest thing I ever did.”

“Man, that felt good. He hurt the whole team with that tackle.”

“I’m sorry.” I hadn’t considered how we lost the game, and with me off the team, they’ve been struggling to replace us.

“Whatever, we’re big boys.” He grips my shoulder. “It’s the fucking holidays. Let’s get inside.”

Garrett and I hustle into the restaurant where the party is still going strong. A brassy version of “Sleigh Ride” is playing, and everyone is dancing.

The place seems oblivious to what just happened in the parking lot. I don’t see Craig, Jack, or Zane, but when Dylan’s eyes meet mine, she heads straight to me.

“Allie took the guys to the kitchen. Oh—your hand!” She lifts my swollen hand, pulling me in that direction.

“I’m ready to dance!” Garrett is on the bar at once, dancing with the waitresses.

Kimmie jumps up and down beside him, and he lifts her onto his hip. We pass Craig on the way to the kitchen, and he’s in his wig again looking for all the world like nothing just happened.

“I’ll deal with the sheriff,” he says as we pass, and Dylan nods.

In the kitchen, Thomas has a bowl of ice on the large silver table. Dylan leads me to it, wrapping my hand in a thin towel before dunking it in the ice bath.

“Not too swollen.” Jack inspects the damage. “I doubt you have a fracture.”

“I only punched the soft spots.” I glance at Dylan. “You didn’t tell me he hurt you.”

“It was only one time.” Her lips are tight as she dries my hand. “It was after we broke up, and he came here to talk…”

“The marks on your arm?” I remember her playing it off that night in the kitchen so long ago.

“You remember?” Her brow furrows, and I reach for her, pulling her to my chest.

“Don’t ever hide something like that from me again.” I kiss the top of her head.

“You should’ve seen your man here, D.” Garrett blusters into the kitchen with a beer in his hand and a smile on his face. “Dropped Krall like a rock, and from half a foot below.”

“Look at your hand!” She grabs Garrett’s fist and puts it in the ice.

“I’ll be fine.” He looks up at me. “We got him, bro. He won’t mess with you again.”

“I hope not.”

“If he does, we’ll be ready for him.” Garrett nods around the room at the five faces smiling back at us. “The Bradford boys.”

“Does that include me?” I tease.

“Hell, yeah, it does, and we take care of our own.”

Christmas is almost here, and my knee is getting stronger. My physical therapist prescribed walking, so I’m strolling along the bay in the direction of the old cinder-block radio station.

A cool breeze coats my face, but it’s nothing like the winters up north. I’m far away from that level of cold these days.

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