The place had been repurposed into offices of some kind. Flower barrels were planted out front, and looked well-tended. The exterior had a new paint job and new signage. Buck sent his gaze farther afield. The entire area looked…rejuvenated. It seemed to be thriving. A restaurant with outdoor seating had opened up next door to the old hardware store, and everything looked…bustling.
Damn.Parts of him were glad to be home, despite feeling like an outsider.
The smells from the restaurant wafting in the air made Buck’s stomach growl, despite that it had just been nervously roiling, because, duh, it was just after four, and he hadn’t eaten lunch.
Sustenance was one of the things that continued to stymie Buck since he’d separated from the service. Feeding himself was…hard. He hadn’t had to think about food as a Coastie. The ships and bases where he’d been stationed had always been blessed with mess halls and a fairly regimented meal schedule.Being on his own, Buck often forgot that he was currently the only one in charge of his stomach.
He gave a silent nod of recognition to the now, non-hardware store, and glanced at the restaurant again. Could he do it?
It was one thing to walk around town. It was another thing entirely to sit amongst townspeople in an eating establishment. Did he dare…?
Buck’s phone rang in his pocket.
He plucked it out and looked at the screen.
Yes. Saved by his brother, from having to make an immediate decision.
“Hey Spence,” Buck greeted.
“Where are you, bro?”
“Nice to hear from you, too,” Buck countered with a chuckle. “I’m actually walking the streets of downtown Orono, trying to blend in.”
“How’s that going for you?” Spencer asked with real concern in his voice. “This is the first time you’ve been to town since you got home, isn’t it?”
Yeah.It had been nearly two months since Buck had stepped foot on dry land, but he was tired of being a chicken-shit. He couldn’t spendallhis time south of here in the town where he and Spence were establishing their new business. Buck had known that sooner or later he’d have to face his past.
“It is, and it’s…interesting,” Buck stated, forcing himself to stop in front of the restaurant to talk. “A lot of the businesses have changed hands here, though, and the crowd seems…younger.”
Spencer laughed. “That’s because you’re an old man, now.” A short silence ensued. “Have you, uh, seen anybody you know?”
“I don’t think so,” Buck responded thoughtfully. “Maybe a few people who look a little familiar, but certainly nobody who’s wanted to stop and talk. Or yell.”
“Nobody’s going to yell at you,” Spencer huffed. “What happened was over fifteen years ago. Everyone’s moved on except you.”
Buck grumbled, but didn’t disagree. But he knew full-well there were a few people who would never forgive him for his supposed digressions.
Buck changed the subject.
“To what do I owe the honor of this late-day call when you have so much shit on your plate?” It was Friday, and not only were Spencer and Tabitha getting married tomorrow, their rehearsal dinner was set for two hours from now. Buck ought to know. He was one of the groomsmen in the wedding party.
“The caterer for tonight called, and they’re down a vehicle. I know you have that big-ass mom-van, and I was wondering if you could head to the caterer’s around six and help them out?”
Buck laughed out loud. “Ah, I see. Now who’s making fun of my choice to buy a mini-van, huh? It’s okay to dis me when it suits you, but now that you need my help…”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Spencer snorted. “Bite me. Can you, or can’t you?”
“Of course I can, old man.” Buck loved to tease Spencer for being born just a year before him. “Give me the caterer’s address.”
Ellen Sothard was taking tonight off; sitting this one out. Normally she cooked for every family or neighborhood function, but Spencer had begged her, as the mother of the groom, to simply sit back and enjoy this weekend.
She’d reluctantly agreed once it had been decided that not only the dinner and rehearsal were to be held on the family property in the big barn out back that had been scrubbed clean, it would also be the venue for tomorrow’s wedding.
Subsequent to their mother reluctantly standing down, Buck had been aware that all the food was being shipped in, but he’d had no clue what company had taken on the job.
Spencer rattled off the caterer’s address with a hurried thank you and a quick goodbye. It seemed there was some kind of “bunting” crisis in the barn, whatever the hell that meant.
Buck committed the information he’d been given to memory, then pocketed his phone. Looking at the door to the restaurant, he decided against going in. He didn’t want to feel trapped somewhere, now that he had a task to perform.
