“Ben, tell Mom it’s okay for me to head out to the river and light sparklers with my friends,” Branson said to me after we ate. “We’re not going to drink, and Phil’s dad can drive me home later.”
My stomach was full and my head preoccupied, so I didn’t bother asking questions. “I think it’s fine, Bren,” I told my sister.
She frowned at me. “Yeah, because you go home to your house and work, and you don’t have to sit up and worry about him.”
“That’s not fair. I worry plenty,” I said, thinking she was also making a point about my lonely existence with no one to care about. Standing, I said, “I’m actually going to head out. I’ll drop him off and make sure it looks kosher.”
“What?” Branson asked me.
“Make sure everyone is behaving. I’ll be discreet,” I said.
As he shoved his hair off his forehead, I thought how I did the same thing. At least Brenna didn’t bother him about getting a haircut. She’d learned that lesson from my mom and me a long time ago.
After dropping off Branson with his friends, I made a quick U-turn and headed toward Hunnie’s place. I parked by the main house and waited a minute before heading toward the bonfire.
“Hey, look who made it,” Hunnie said, announcing my approach before I could clear my throat.
“Hey, Ben.” Her brother, Josh, stood to shake my hand.
He was close to ten years older than Hunnie and me, and I didn’t know him well growing up. Now he lived in town and worked for a trucking company. He married someone who was here hiking the Appalachian Trail and fell for him during a crunchy phase. Two kids later, she decided she wasn’t meant for this life and hightailed it back out west, leaving him with a couple of toddlers. Of course, everyone knew the story.
“Hey, man,” I said, shaking his hand. “Happy Fourth.”
“Holiday takes on a new meaning when you have a couple of kids you want to get home and get to bed,” he said, cocking his head toward the bonfire.
“I’m sure,” I said, but really had no idea. I’d just dropped Branson off with friends so I could see Hunnie.
“Hi.” Murphy looked up at me from the fire, the flames reflecting off her red hair as she stood and walked over.
“Hi,” I said back, really wanting to pull her in for a hug. To Josh, I said, “Where are your folks?”
“Oh, they went in to watch a movie. Mom’s been nagging Dad for weeks to watch some movie about a kid abandoned on a train platform in India.”
“Lion,” Murphy said. “It’s calledLion. I cried like a baby watching that movie while crossing the Atlantic on a plane to Europe. It won several awards.”
“Wow,” Josh said, staring at Murphy. “Not that it won several awards, that you remember watching it on a plane to Europe. I don’t remember what I had for breakfast.”
“Give it a rest, Josh,” Hunnie said, stepping in. “Go make sure your spawn don’t set their faces on fire roasting their marshmallows.”
“Happy Fourth,” Murphy whispered. “Hunnie dragged me into this, but it’s been nice. Her parents are sweet,” she said, standing next to me.
Hunnie made her way over to the kids, squeezing honey on a graham cracker for one.
“It’s not big-city standards, but it’s a pretty family-focused day around here. Friends and family, I guess.”
Smiling, she said, “I’m liking it. Fireworks always give me a headache, or maybe it’s all the specialty cocktails served with them at parties. Either way, this has been nice.”
“I’m glad. You know what’s making my holiday?”
Murphy stared at me, and if I thought I wanted to kiss her earlier, I was wrong. I really wanted to kiss her now, so much so, I wasn’t sure how I managed to resist. Reaching for her hand, I held her soft fingers in mine.
“You,” I told her. “It’s really nice seeing you.”
“Back at you, Doc,” she teased, but her eyes told me she meant it. It was almost as if a flash of relief passed over her features as her brow smoothed out and her eyes brightened.
We stood there for a while, taking each other in until my phone rang, breaking the moment.
“Shit,” I mumbled as I glanced at the screen. “It’s the hospital.”
