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“You’ve got yourself a good moving crew,” Dad said.

“Yeah, I should join them since it’s my crap they’re hauling.”

“We’ll get out of your way, then.” He squeezed my shoulder. “I know I haven’t said it right, or nearly enough, but I’m proud of you, Joey. You went through hell, but you came out the other side. If you ever want help going back to school or starting a business⁠—”

“Thanks, Dad, but I’m okay. I like the direction my life is going. It’s not your path, but it’s right for me.”

He nodded. “Well, if you ever need anything, we’re here for you. That’s all I want to say.”

My chest loosened. For a long time, Dad and I had butted heads. We had never seen eye to eye. I knew renting a trailer and working a couple of part-time jobs—the nonprofit effort with Scott Construction needed time to grow into more—wasn’t what he really wanted for me. But he was accepting it, and that seemed like a step forward.

Maybe one day we could even appreciate our differences.

I scooped up a box and started down the driveway. Aiden waved me over to his hatchback. The back of the Hummer had been the first thing to fill up. We were saving the pickup for the furniture.

“I think I can fit one more,” he said, bending to rearrange boxes.

“That’s what he said,” Tex muttered as he passed by.

“Watch it!” Knight called, but he sounded amused.

I wedged the box into the space left with difficulty. “It’s a tight fit.”

Knight returned. “That’s what I always say,” he said with a wink.

Aiden swatted his stomach. “Stop it.”

We loaded up the pickup, starting with the bed and dresser. We paired off in twos, carrying out pieces of furniture, until Kit shoved the mini fridge into the back of the pickup and Tex banged the tailgate shut.

It had taken less than an hour to load up my life with all the guys helping.

“Okay, I guess that’s it,” Knight said. “Meet you guys at the trailer park.”

Everyone retreated to their cars, except for Kit, who would ride with me in the Hummer. I tossed him the keys. I’d mostly made my peace with driving—unless the weather made conditions tricky—but Kit enjoyed taking the wheel and I was happy to let him.

In and out of bed.

“Wait!” Mom called as I opened the passenger door. She came jogging across the lawn with a plastic bag dangling from her fingers.

I turned. “What is it?”

She thrust the bag at me. “One last thing, as a thank-you to your friends.”

I looked into the bag. It was filled with steaks.

“How did you…”

She laughed. “Joey, did you really think I didn’t notice four or five steaks going missing almost every week? I knew you were taking it for those cookouts. I didn’t mind. I was happy you had someone in your life that you wanted to talk to, even if it wasn’t me.”

I pulled her in for a tighter hug, eyes burning. “Thanks, Mom. That means more than you know.”

She pulled back, eyes shiny. “You can come back when you need a refill. That way I get to see you, okay?”

I nodded. “The guys do love their steak.”

She laughed. “Maybe we can even have a cookout here sometime. They’re all invited, all right? Kit and…and Dakota, too.”

Kit was standing on the other side of the Hummer, watching our conversation. “Dakota would love that,” he said.