Page 9 of Forgotten Pieces

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“Can you believe that woman? I cannot believe she cheated on James, her dedicated, loving husband with that trash.”

“Wait, I thought she cheated on him with Evan?”

“Well yes, that one time but they got over it. She was sleeping with that biker from Jacksonville.”

“Wasn’t he just passing through?”

“He was, until he decided to stay for her.”

“I saw her with Evan just last week when I was in the city. They looked awfully friendly.” I hear Shelley gossip back to her friends.

I clench my whiskey glass in my hand, trying my best to mute the gossip out. It’s like this every time Shelley sees her friends from Atlanta. I hoped that after she decided to build a house near my hometown, she wouldn’t be around the catty drama of these women. I like to call them the Housewives, because if it was up to them, they would be on the next season ofThe Real Housewives of Atlanta. I try to put up with them whenever we see them, but some days are harder than others.

Today is one of those days. Their petty bullshit brings the fog in my brain back. The whiskey can push away the side effects, but since we haven’t even made it to the wedding, I need to watch my intake.

“I don’t know how you can sit with these ladies, Ryder.” I look up to see Thomas standing next to me.

Ben, Thomas’ twin brother, cuts in, “Because Shelley has this one wrapped around her finger.”

I shake my head at them and let out a laugh. “Got me there, boys.”

“Sorry we are late. Jessica forgot to bring the gift, so we doubled back together and let the ladies have their alone time.”

“Don’t worry about it, man. I tuned them out,” I respond in kind.

“Well, let’s head over to the bar for a drink. Catch up with you. It’s been awhile,” Thomas says as he nods his head to the bar.

I get up from the high top and kiss Shelley on the cheek before heading the few feet over to the bar.

“So man, we haven’t seen you in, what? Hasn’t it been like four months?” Thomas asks.

I sip my whiskey and take a breath. “Five.”

“Damn, it’s been that long? Were you on base? Any plans to come back to Atlanta soon?”

I clench my jaw. I hate talking about myself. I hate talking about work. But these are good guys so I’ll pretend I’m good for them. “I was out in Jacksonville for four months. Just got back two weeks ago. Well back to White Creek. Needed to see how Shelley was coming along with the house plans.”

“I can’t believe Shelley of all people wants to move out to the boondocks,” Ben says. “She’s always been on the social scene.”

“She went to that wedding at the same place last year and fell in love. When she found out it’s around where I grew up, she decided it was a done deal,” I respond. “Besides it’s just our second home. Shelley will be in Atlanta more often than not. She will get her social time.”

“Shelley told Michelle she wanted a big family.”

I nod in response. Shelley has been talking a lot about that recently. I was never opposed to it until last year when everything changed. Now the thought of having someone dependent upon me is a thought I cannot face.

“It will be odd to move back here,” I say. “It’s been over twenty years since I lived here except for the few months when my mom was sick. Never really thought about comin’ back, but for Shelley I will.”

“Aww such a good man,” Ben jokes, batting his eyelashes.

I smack him in the arm and he jokes that I broke it. They always joke around with me about my size. I am large and built. When I was sixteen and knew I had to leave my house, I decided I would join the Marines. I dedicated my life to working out. I was always tall; my whole family was. I measure out at six-five but as a kid I was scrawny. My dedication before joining the Marines helped give me some strength, but the grueling training of boot camp drove me into dedicating myself to building a strong, powerful body. I learned about teamwork and camaraderie. I wanted to be in the best shape I could for my brothers so I could always have their backs. Fifteen years in the Marines and I am kind of a scary looking man. I am huge, my muscles sizeable. But my strength has protected me and those I care about.

I met Ben and Thomas in boot camp. They came from a military family, but they only served four years. I knew when I met them they were too smart to waste their brains on the military. They started an investment business together. And they’ve done well for themselves. I am proud of them. It’s one of the nice things about moving back to a town I never planned to return to. Too many dark memories from my childhood. But with Atlanta being about two hours away, it will be a nice break to see them more often between deployments.

Michelle walks over to us with an empty glass. “We should probably head out soon. It’s about an hour to the venue.”

I look at my watch and see it’s just past four. The ceremony starts at six with a cocktail hour beforehand. Ben agrees as his wife slides in next to him. He pays the bill for the table and we all head out.

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