Page 46 of The Homecoming

Brandon didn’t respond.

“Didn’t think so. Now, I’d like to get a temp in here in the next few weeks, so you can get them up to speed. Then I can get rid of them when you’re ready to come back.”

“That does seem like the best thing to do,” she said. “I don’t wanna leave you guys in the lurch.”

Ben nodded.

“And I hate to tell you this, but he didn’t do a good job with the administrative stuff,” Autumn admitted

“Hey,” Brandon said, slumping back onto the couch. “True, but still.”

“I know, I only hired him for his looks,” Ben said with a smile before leaving the room.

***

At The Bar, Autumn sat with the others, cradling her disguised drink between her palms. Bored of ginger ale, she’d asked the bartender for a tonic and lime. He’d suggested that she try sparkling water and lime. Shocked that the place would even carry sparkling water, she agreed and liked the results. Now bartender Barry kept her highball glass filled with her new favorite faux cocktail, and he didn’t ask any questions.

“Now,” Hannah began, “these are the contenders for bridesmaids’ dresses.” She displayed photos from a large binder that she now carried everywhere. It exponentially grew in size every time Autumn saw it. Soon, it would be the bridal binder that ate the town. “Now this is the color, that peachy-pink I like.”

Autumn looked over the photos in front of her, seeing a lot of ruffles. “Those are lovely,” she replied.

Hannah looked at her. “Are you sure you can’t be a bridesmaid? I can make room for another.”

Autumn shook her head. She’d be the size of a whale by the wedding day. Nothing would be worse than being a peachy-pink blimp waddling down an aisle. She shook her head. “I’m flattered, but I’m going to be too busy making sure your day goes off without a problem.”

“I’m so happy you’re working there.” She smiled, pointing to one of the photos. “I’m leaning toward this one.”

“Have you seen any of them in person?” Autumn asked.

She shook her head. “I’m trying to narrow down how many I ask everyone to try on.”

Autumn nodded, recalling that Hannah had tried on at least fifty different wedding dresses. Who knew there were that many to begin with? She shuttered the number of formal dresses that could also be bridesmaid dresses. “I’d go with an A-line style,” Autumn suggested. “Those usually look nice on a variety of body types.”

With the buzz of the place in full swing around them, Autumn sipped her drink and randomly pointed at dresses as Hannah paired two of them together and asked her to pick one.

Autumn hadn’t heard Weasel’s voice in some time, and it was usually the loudest thing in the bar. She looked over to him, and there he sat, quiet. His hands were on his beer glass, but his eyes were trained on something across the room. Rebecca. She’d gone to the bathroom and must have gotten stopped by someone on her way back. She was chatting with some guy, laughing as the guy touched her arm.

Weasel wore his jealousy like a neon sign.

Interesting.Autumn had never known Weasel to be into… well, anyone. He must have at some point, but there had never been anyone she could now recall.

***

Through her back gate, Autumn found Jason target practicing in only a t-shirt and jeans. By the light of the back porch floodlights, he was not doing well. Several arrows had gone wide, from what Autumn could see.

“Why are you out here in the cold?” she asked. “You might hit it better if you weren’t shivering.”

He shrugged. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am.”

“Not by a long shot,” she insisted.

“Jesus, you could badger the shit out of a brick wall. You missed your calling as an interrogator. I think the military could use a pain in the ass like you.”

“Jason…”

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