Page 13 of Defending What is Mine

Chapter Seven

Jack:Then—Last August

I lift the bottom of my T-shirt to wipe the sweat from my face. It’s hot today, and that, combined with my brother’s attitude would usually be enough to ruin my mood. Not today. Today, I’m busy thinking about slow dances and karaoke. My smile is permanent and shining brighter than the sun beating down on us from that clear blue sky.

“Jack! You just going to stand around looking pretty, or are you going to give me a hand?”

“Aw, Gabe. You think I’m pretty?” I wave my head around, as if I have long, flowing hair I’m trying to catch in the breeze.

Gabe stares without blinking. “I’ll take that as a no on the help, then.”

“What?” I ask. “Hank’s the only one who’s allowed to have a sense of humor?”

“You know better than most, it’s a free country. Everyone’s allowed. But if Hank’s got one, I don’t recall ever being around when he used it.” Gabe motions to the spool of barbed wire on the ground. “Let me get this tied in, then you walk that down the fence and I’ll follow, securing and stretching it as we go,” he says, pulling an extra pair of gloves from the four-wheeler and tossing them at my feet.

“Sounds good.”

Gabe grabs a pair of pliers from the toolbox and goes to work tying wire. “So? How was the date?” he asks as he works, glancing up with a devilish grin.

“Great, actually.” I crane my neck to look around, as if someone snuck up and whispered into his ear without my noticing. “How do you know anything about that?”

He stops what he’s doing and looks back. “Between Hank’s big mouth and our mother…” Gabe cuts himself off and shakes his head. “I think you get my point.”

“Right. Enough said.” I pick up the spool of wire and wait for Gabe to give the go-ahead before I start unraveling. “Honestly, Sam’s…I don’t know, man. She’s something special. I’ve never met a woman quite like her before.”

Gabe nods along as he stands. “This end is done. You can start walking it back now.”

“Got it.” I hoist the spool to my waist and carefully step backward.

“Damn this August heat.” Gabe brings his arm to his forehead and wipes the sweat from his brow. “Yeah, Sam seems like she’s got her head screwed on straight. I guess becoming a mom so young will do that. No time to be selfish and vain when you’ve got something so precious depending on you.”

I laugh. “You’d think that’s true, but then how would we explain you? Are you just the exception that proves the rule?”

Gabe smiles sarcastically. “You want my advice?”

“Sure.”

“Leave the dumb jokes to Hank.” He laughs. “Seriously though. She seems like a quality gal. And she’s not exactly hard on the eyes, either. But what about…?” Gabe makes a face that tells me he wishes he hadn’t said anything, which in turn makes me extra curious what he’s thinking.

“What?” I ask, mindful of barbs as I walk the wire down the fence. “Spit it out.”

“What happens when you leave in a week? Or, you know, after you’re gone?”

The question catches me by surprise, causing me to trip over a rock and almost fall—while holding fifty pounds of pointy metal in front of my groin.

Always the supportive older brother, Gabe buckles over laughing and literally slaps his knee. “That would’ve been hilarious.”

“No, asshole. That would’ve been surgery, or news at eleven. No wonder Hank thinks you’re a dick.”

“I can see it now,” Gabe says as he tries to catch his breath. “Local hero impaled by his own clumsiness. Ha!” His smile fades. “Hey. He doesn’t really think that, does he?”

Careful to look behind me as I walk, I notice I’m about fifty paces from Gabe. “This far enough?” I ask.

He nods. “It’ll work for now.”

I set the spool down and walk back. “That’s a good question. What am I going to do about Sam? I don’t know, bro. You understand, it’s not like this trip home was planned, exactly. And I certainly didn’t, in my wildest expectations, think I’d meet a girl and fall in love, ya know?”

Gabe stops what he’s doing with the fence but doesn’t turn around. “Are you?” he asks.

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