29. Trace
TRACE
"Y 'all hungry?" I ask after we've loaded the feed into the back of the truck. "We need to get back, but I don't think any of us want to get back any quicker than we have to."
"That's the truest statement you've ever made," Kyle claps his hands together. "But I could go for a lunch plate right about now."
"What do you think?" I look at Katie.
"I've never been there before, but if both of you think it's good, I'm down for it."
I'm coming to understand she's down for anything as long as she doesn't have to do it on her own. If I ever had to pick a chick to be my ride or die, she would be it. I worry that I'm putting too much faith in her, letting her get too close, but at the same time I'm coming to some other realizations, too. That if I don't let someone in, if I don't let someone be a partner to me, I'm going to die lonely and bitter. That I'll be just like my parents, and I won't ever know what true happiness is. One of the things I promised myself from the time I was old enough to know what life was about, was that I wouldn't allow my parents to break me. Truth is, I've come real fuckin' close and I refuse to let it happen. "It'll be some of the best food you've ever eaten," I promise her before grabbing her hand and dragging her to The Wagon Wheel.
We walk in, and although I haven't been here in almost a six months it's like coming home. Everyone inside waves at me, calling out hellos and asking how my parents are doing, giving me condolences on losing Ward and congratulations on the marriage. I respond as best as I can before we escape to a booth in the back, away from everyone who would rather ask questions than let us eat in peace.
"Long time, no see," my favorite waitress greets us.
"I don't know, Norma. You saw me at the wedding didn't you? I'm pretty sure I saw you in the third row."
"Had to come and see my favorite bachelor get taken," she blows me a kiss.
Norma is fifty-six if she's a day. She's flirted with me since I was old enough to know what it was, and she's always made blush. "I'm not your favorite," I wave her away.
"You know you are. Do you not remember what you did for senior prank day? You're lucky I didn't call the cops on you and all your little friends," she wags a finger at me. "I'll bring y'all some water and bread to start out with."
Katie looks over at me. "What did you do for senior prank day?"
Kyle and I both laugh. "We changed the sign to say The Wagon Weed. It's stupid, but we thought it was so funny. Suffice it to say others didn't think it was funny and we got into big trouble. They even had the Sheriff come to school."
"Did you get arrested?" Her eyes are wide as she looks at both of us.
"No, but we did get a fine," I answer her.
"And we got suspended. Almost didn't get to walk with our graduating class, remember?"
"You're telling your wife about what you did to this place, huh?" Norma sets the bread and water down.
"She asked, and I'm an honest man," I hold up my hands in front of me, all stop in the name of love.
"They got a vandalism charge because they messed with my sign. I wouldn't have even done anything to them had they not messed with my sign. I'd just gotten it repainted and they pissed me off something quick," she levels both of them with a glare.
"I can imagine," Katie grins, scooting closer to me. "I had no idea you were such a bad boy," she whispers in my ear.
The words go straight to my groin, and suddenly I'm thinking of more than what we're going to have for lunch.
"Honey, do you need a menu?" Norma looks at Katie. "I know what these two want, but I don't think you've ever been here before."
"What do you like to eat?" She asks Norma.
"My favorite is the hamburger and tater tots. I'm a simple woman, and it's a simple meal, but we do it better than anyone else around.
"Then that's what I'll have," Katie gives her a decisive nod.
"Your food will be coming right up, y'all."
The three of us are quiet as she goes to put our order in.
"So what else did you two do in town?" Katie asks, looking expectantly at us.
"We drag raced down Main Street," Kyle admits. "In our friends car, we raced an asshole from two counties over and he tried to fuck us out of the money we won when he got pissed we beat him. Trace and Ward beat his ass," Kyle laughs. "I can't remember what happened after that, but he had blood dripping off his face and y'all were telling him to get his ass back across the county line."
"We were so mad," I remember. "Because we were gonna use that money to fix up the truck we bought. Kyle and I couldn't afford a truck on our own, and our parents' both refused to buy it for us. We worked hard one summer and were able to buy one, but it needed a lot of work, and we needed money in order for that to happen. It's the only reason we joined the race."
"That and the fact we'd just watched The Fast and Furious and felt like we were really something." Kyle interjects before taking a drink of his water. "Like we thought we were gonna get rich off of racing people, and then we got into it with this dude. The cops ended up being called, it was the first run in we had before the whole senior prank day," he sighs. "Our teenage years were up in the air."
"So have our twenties," I remind him. "Shit's gone sideways since we've graduated and we've tried to make our own lives for ourselves."
"Maybe it's gone sideways for you," his eyes cut over to Katie. "But at least you have a gorgeous wife to show for it. I have a bank account that's nowhere near fat enough to do what I need it to."
She ducks her head when I turn to look at her. "It might've gone sideways, but I wouldn't want it to go sideways with anyone but her."
At those words, she lifts her head, smiling brightly. "Do you really mean that?"
"As much as I thought I wouldn't, I do. We're in this together, remember?"