Page 10 of The Homecoming

“Yeah, he’s cool,” she replied.

“He seems smart, well-mannered, and kind, too,” Shirley said. “The military’s turned him into a fine man.”

Autumn nodded and continued to work without looking at her mother.

“I was just thinking,” Shirley continued, “he’d be a great catch for a young lady.”

She poured dish soap into the sink and did not acknowledge her mother’s insinuation.

“He seems to be hanging around here a lot now that you’re home. I think someone may have a little crush on you.”

Autumn sighed loudly. “Mom, I’ve known him my whole life. We’re friends.”

“Friends? If I was your age and a man that looked like him was trying to court me, I’d have jumped on him.”

“Oh my god,” she cried. “Mom, please stop. I beg you.”

4.

Word got around town that Autumn was back and Hannah Baskin, an old high school acquaintance, was the first to welcome and invite her out for drinks on Friday night. Hannah and a few others who had not left for the bright lights of a larger city or, like Autumn, were back in town, gathered at a local bar on Friday nights after a long work week.

The Bar, as it was unoriginally named, was an establishment that had been open for as long as she could remember. It was a small, unobtrusive place with no pretention and many regulars who would prefer you not mention seeing them there if you crossed paths Sunday morning. Autumn and Hannah’s group took up a good portion of the back corner of the bar, piling into a booth that had chairs lining one side. Hannah and her fiancé, Justin, scooted to the middle of the seat. Rebecca and Kyle came in next, followed by Ben and Brandon. She recognized Ben, but didn’t know Brandon. Rebecca had lived in White Oak as a child and moved away with her mom when her parents split up when she was fourteen, and she was back and dating Kyle.

Then Weasel came in. He was the same age as Dan and Jason, and as far as Autumn knew, everyone called him Weasel, even the teachers. He wore a polo shirt, khakis, and had a police badge hanging around his neck and a gun holstered at his side.

“Weasel is a cop,” she said to Hannah.

Hannah laughed. “Hard to believe, I know.”

“What’s hard to believe?” Weasel slid into the chair opposite Autumn.

“That badge hanging around your neck,” Autumn replied.

Weasel flashed a broad, toothy grin. “I was voted most likely to get arrested,” he laughed. “Now I’m the one arresting their punk asses. Sure as hell showed them… And now Autumn Mac is back.” He smacked the table and jumped up. “What’s everybody drinking? It’s time to raise some hell up in this bitch.” He crossed to the bar.

“That sounds like the Weasel I remember, but the gun and badge are an interesting twist,” Autumn said to Hannah.

“Yeah, nothing really changes here,” Hannah said. “He’s a good cop.”

“If you say so.”

Weasel returned to the table carrying a tray of shots and passed them out, handing Autumn one he said was a lemon shooter. Sadly, that was enough to get her buzzed. Soon, the table was alive with chatter and it didn’t take long for old stories about their stupid high school antics to surface. They laughed and told tales of broken curfews, sneaking out, stealing beer, fights, and the rumored sex that people did and did not have. Weasel, not surprisingly, had been the wildest with two older brothers and little to no adult supervision. The fact that any of them had survived to adulthood was a mystery.

Weasel ordered pitchers of beer and glasses all around. Brandon was not a White Oak High survivor, but a newcomer. He had met Ben at college and moved with him back to his hometown. They were working together to renovate an old farm on the edge of town and turn it into a wedding venue. They planned on hosting barn weddings by next spring. Hannah and Justin’s wedding would be their first at the new facility. No one said anything, but Autumn assumed that Ben and Brandon were life partners in addition to business partners.

“Where’s Jason?” Weasel eventually asked.

“Deployed,” Autumn replied. “But Dan’s in town.”

“Madera’s here? Well, that son of a bitch...”

Autumn laughed, already loopy. “I’ll see if he’ll come.” She fiddled with her phone and accidentally called Dan instead of texting him. The moment he answered, she giggled. “Hey, I meant to text you.”

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yep.” She couldn’t stop laughing. “Weasel’s a cop,” she managed to say.

“Hey, Madera, get your ass down here,” Weasel yelled across the table.

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