Page 3 of JoyRide

“Oh, my God, Harlan. That is the saddest thing I ever heard. You never mentioned your brother before. I didn’t know you had one.”

“Don’t feel like I do have one, Tam. He’s been gone so fuckin long.”

“We’re gonna be cops tomorrow. We’ll find him.”

“Are you serious?”

“I am.”

“Do you think it’s possible?”

“Yep. We’ll make it our mission.”

“Are we telling Travis and Billy?”

“Maybe later when we bring him home. They’ll have to know then, won’t they?”

I laughed. “Guess they will.”

Travis told us all to get cleaned up for dinner because we were going out. Not many places in Coyote Creek a person could go for their birthday dinner, so I had to guess we were going to the Coyote Creek Inn. Best place to eat in town.

Travis and Olivia, the owner of the Inn, were getting it on at one time, but he gave that up too. He needed somebody new in his life to spice it up a bit.

I liked Marilyn Pellegrino for him. Pretty woman with long black hair. Former barrel racing champion. Travis liked her, but maybe not enough to give it his best effort.

Billy and I missed Savanna. She was fun and she could cook. She owned the feed store in Coyote Creek, and we thought she was a good woman for Travis.

Tammy wasn’t so sure Savanna was right for dad and I knew she was still hoping Annie—her step mama—and Travis would get back together. I wasn’t betting on that happening. Travis might have done a little too much damage to his relationship with Annie to ever patch things up with her.

Coyote Creek Inn.

Olivia had a table reserved for us in her fancy dining room. We’d eaten there lots of times before on special occasions or just whenTravis wanted a steak or a roast beef dinner. She had the best desserts in town and probably in the entire state. Tammy and I were trying them one by one.

Before Olivia sent our server over, she came by our table and wished me a happy birthday. “Doesn’t seem like I’ve known you for two years, Harlan, but I guess it’s true. You’ve grown into a handsome young man, and I imagine you’ll be fighting the girls of Coyote Creek off soon…” she turned and smiled at Travis, “just like your father.”

Tammy and I laughed but Travis just shook his head and looked away.

A girl came and stood next to Olivia, and she said, “Brooke will be your server tonight. This is her first week with us, so don’t be too hard on her.”

“Hi, Brooke,” said Billy. “Nice to meet you.”

I stared and couldn’t help myself. All that blonde hair around a cute face, and a great body too. Trying to think of something to say to make her like me and I couldn’t say a damned thing.

“What would you like to drink?” she looked down at the notepad in her hand and I noticed her hand was a bit shaky.

“I’ll have a Miller,” I said and glanced at Travis to see if he was having the same. He nodded and so did Billy.

“I’ll have Coors,” said Tammy. “Thank you, Brooke.”

Brooke. That was her name and I already forgot it. How could you ask a person out if you couldn’t even remember their name?

The food was fantastic like it always was and before we ordered dessert, Brooke and Olivia came and brought me a cake with eighteen blazing candles.

“Wow, that’s some fire, Harlan,” said Billy. “Call the fire department.”

I laughed and blew out the candles. My best birthday yet. Be hard to top getting a Harley for my birthday on top of having the best family in the whole goddamned world.

After I blew out the candles, Tammy asked, “What did you wish for, Harlan?”

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