He stops at James Street to pick up Bradley, who is drinking coffee with his wife on their front porch. She’s getting bigger by the day, with the baby due in a couple of months. Will waves, and she waves back, then she and Bradley kiss before he heads over.
“Morning, bud,” Bradley says as he enters the truck. “Bagel?”
“Bring it here.” His stomach grunts in gratitude with the first bite he takes. He eats half of it within a minute, then puts the rest aside so he can resume driving.
“What do you have planned for us?” Bradley asks as he plays with the radio stations.
“Red Oak.”
“Sweet.”
Will chose that kind of tree because it’s easier to cut and can be sold for high value. It also has a high level of moisture, so they’ll need to sort it quickly, or the quality won’t remain top-notch. Being the owner of a small business, he tries to justify his high rates by providing high-quality wood that he handpicks.
“Didn’t see you last night at Rodie’s.”
Will shifts uneasily in his seat. He was on his way there when the sheriff and Sheryl stopped him by the side of the road.Get your ass in here. We’re going for a ride.“I was too tired. You had fun?”
Bradley smiles. His front tooth is slightly broken, and there are a lot of freckles across his face in a true ginger fashion. “You’re in the presence of Van Buren’s newest—though unofficial—darts champion.”
Will snickers. “Honored.”
They meet up with Will’s two other employees, Roger and Esteban, who have arrived with the heavier equipment and their big truck. They drive to the edges of Carter County in search of red oaks until they find a cluster. Will walks among the potential trees, assessing the straightness of the trunk, the number of lower branches, the condition of the bark, and whether there are any cracks or splits. He narrows down his options, then uses a mallet to tap on the trunks, listening for a solid sound rather than a hollow one. Finally, he uses a moisture meter to make sure the trees aren’t too moist.
A little past noon, they’re done loading the logs onto the truck and make their way to store the wood. In his small office next to the log yard, Will calls some of his clients to let them know they can come check out the newest logs. Two of them make a purchase without needing to check for themselves.
“Do you have time to hang?” Bradley asks as Willdrives them back to town.
“I promised Julie I’d stop by.”
Bradley nods. “I’ll go say hello to her later this week. How’s she holding up?”
“She’s strong. Hanging in there.”As she slowly fades away.
Will drops Bradley back at his house, and once he’s alone again on the road, he cranks up the volume. It’s his favorite station because they mix classic rock with a bit of jazz. He’ll rest at home for a few hours after seeing Julie, maybe even take a long nap. In the evening, he’ll go out to Rodie’s and… “Shit.”
He stops by the side of the road and hurries to open his bag. He takes out his calendar and flips through the pages until he finds today’s date, May 14, 1991. At eight o’clock, he’s supposed to be at his uncle’s house. He shivers at the thought of what could have happened if he had forgotten about that, then he shivers at the thought of what is waiting for him there.
Since it’s four o’clock, he has enough time to visit Julie, but he’ll have to keep it short since he’d better catch some sleep before tonight’s event.
With a deep sigh and a heavy heart, he gets back on the road.
*
Riverways Manor Nursing Home is not far from thetown center. Julie has been there for almost three years as the treatments for her Hodgkin’s lymphoma had kept failing. Will wants nothing more than to take her to his house, but he can’t afford the treatment and facilities she needs. He also can’t afford her hospice, but the mayor can.
He buys a bouquet of tulips from a nearby flower shop, then steps into the bright building. Martha smiles at him from across the reception desk, her dyed blonde hair puffy and curly. “I was hoping you’d stop by. Julie has been asking about you.”
“How is she?”
“Today was a good day. She even ate more than usual. You have time to sit with her before dinner.” She watches him closely. “You seem tired.”
“Didn’t sleep much last night.”
She winks. “I see.”
You’re so off the mark, Martha.
He walks down the familiar hallway, trying not to look at anyone he passes since he can only digest his own sister’s dire condition. There’s a lemony scent in the air due to the cleaning product the staff uses, and Will can no longer smell lemons without thinking of this place. Julie’s room is at the end of the hallway, facing the small back garden that is just now beginning to blossom. As usual, she sits on the bed reading a book. Her head is covered with a blue bandana; her once-fair skin is now ashy. Her beautiful green eyes are dimmerthan they used to be, but there is still fire in them. On her nightstand there’s a framed photo of Will and their mom, who died a few years ago in a car accident. There used to be a photo of the three of them instead, but Julie decided she didn’t want to look at her old self every day, and Will can understand that.
