Page 8 of The Night Ride
But Wyatt chimed in before Lucas could reply.“There are some bottles in the patio coolers.Ben is picking up more.I figured between the five of us, we’d need a hell of a lot more.”
I rose and snagged another beer.“Need another?”I asked Wyatt.
“Fuck it.Why not.”He replied with his back to me while he grilled our meal.Although later when we were all shitfaced, we’d likely order some pizza to chow on.
I heard James’s voice before I saw him.He strolled onto the patio, his shaggy, mud brown hair in need of trim, holding a beer.
After that entrance, Ben arrived in short order.
“Look who finally decided to make an appearance.”I toasted Ben from my lounge chair.
“Yeah, had to stop and grab some more so we could watch you puke your guts out later.”Ben teased with a small laugh.
James nudged me with his arm.“Just because Aiden can’t hold his liquor—”
“Hey!”I interrupted his zinger with a scowl and gave James the finger.
James glared back.“Dude, you fucking know you can’t.You’ve never been able to in all the damn years we’ve known you.”
Fucker was right.I didn’t have to like it though.And it was too ingrained in me to push the needle further, to prove that I could handle anything life tossed my way.
“You never know.One of these days, I will.”I gulped more beer, ready for the oblivion of passing the fuck out.
“And then we’ll be atyourfucking wake,” Wyatt interjected with his back to us.He didn’t turn from the barbecue pit to address us.But that was Wyatt, a man of few words.
“Like what you’ve done back here, Wyatt,” Ben told him while he added the cases of beer to the cooler.He grabbed one and took a seat on one of the unoccupied lounge chairs.
“Appreciate it,” Wyatt said flipping the steaks on the grill.
“So what’s this package Evan sent us?And did he send it before?”James asked and then grimaced as if he’d swallowed sour milk.
“Of course he sent it before he put a bullet in his brain.Do you really think he sent it afterwards?”Lucas shook his head with an eye roll.
“I know.That’s not what I meant.Shit.”James chugged his beer before studying the can as if it held the secrets of the universe.
Glad someone brought the topic up.We waited for Wyatt to answer.But he’d answer when he was good and ready.
Wyatt finally said, “We’ll open it after we eat and find out together what the dude was thinking.It’s the only proper way to do it, I’m thinking.”
“And when’s that going to be?I’m starved,” Lucas dramatically sighed as if he was dying of hunger.Fucker was always hungry.Then again, between the five of us we’ve been known to polish off a metric ton of food in one sitting.On a day like today, with as much as we’d be drinking, we would likely raid Wyatt’s pantry in addition to ordering some grub.
“The steaks are almost done.If one of you Nancy’s wants to grab the potatoes out of the oven, we can eat in five.”Wyatt informed us.
My stomach growled at the prospect of food.
“I’ll get it.”Ben rose and headed inside.
He was hurting something fierce.But he and Evan were best friends.We were all tight, but Ben and Evan were each other’s ride or die.My heart bled for Ben because I could tell he was struggling to come to grips with the loss.
Ben carted the potatoes out to the outdoor table.There was already butter, sour cream, and salt and pepper on the table, with plates, forks, and steak knives.
Wyatt brought the pan of steaks over to the table.“Get ‘em while they’re hot boys.”
He didn’t have to tell me twice.I was at the table, grabbing my steak and potato and adding all the fixings.We chowed down on steak and potatoes.Ribald stories flew around the table, courtesy of me and James.But I struggled with the box sitting dead center of the table.The one Evan sent before he killed himself.
“You’re staring,” Wyatt said to Ben with a nod toward the box, before taking another bite of steak.
We all were, but Ben wasn’t trying to hide his morbid curiosity.
