Family Ties

“And besides, Mom… No offense, but I was never scared of you. Sheriff Henderson might’ve been a sexist pig, but he wasn’t an idiot. He knew that if Gunny ever found out what I’d done, he’d tear me a new one.”

“He would not! He never laid a hand on you.”

Doug shook his head at her innocence. “Gunny never had to raise a hand, Mom. Kirk and I worshiped him. I’d’ve sooner disappointed you than him.

He could put me in my place with a single look.” He glanced at me. “You know what I’m talking about.”

“Oh yeah.”

“One time,” Doug continued, “I was supposed to work the hay harvest with old man Stevens. I thought I was too cool. Besides, I didn’t want to get all hot and dusty. But then Gunny found out, and…”

He told several more stories, all with the same theme: he or his brother had done something ignorant, arrogant, or reckless—one time all three—and Gunny had put a stop to it, usually with a project around camp that required lots of hard work and personal supervision. He’d spent his career in the Marines turning boys into men, and he’d clearly done the same with Susan’s sons.

We talked for a while longer but eventually wound down and paid the check.

“Do you mind if we stop at the grocery store on the way home?” I asked Susan as we walked out to the car.

“We can,” she said, “but I stocked one of the refrigerators in the

clubhouse. Nothing fancy, but you won’t starve.”

“Cool, thanks,” I said. “But… did you get any veggies? Fruit?”

“Paul, no,” Christy said quietly. “I’ll be fine.”

“Are you still on a health kick?” Erin teased. “You’re looking a little…

pudgy.”

I pointedly ignored her.

“I still think you look too thin,” Mom said.

“No,” Susan said to me. “Mostly lunchmeat, breakfast cereal, things like that. We can stop at the store, though.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re not serious, are you?” Erin asked me. “Do you really wanna eat that stuff?”

“It’s good for you, Erin. You should try it. You’re looking a little pudgy yourself.”

“Be nice,” Christy whispered. Louder, she said to Erin, “It’s for me.”

Susan suddenly grew concerned. “Didn’t you get enough at the restaurant? I thought you finished your plate.”

“I did. And thank you again for dinner.”

“She has a freakish metabolism,” I explained to Susan and the others.

“She eats six or seven times a day.”

“It isn’t freakish,” Christy muttered indignantly. “It’s just high.”

“She has a high metabolism,” I corrected.

Susan and Mom grinned at each other.

“So I don’t want her to get hungry if she wants a midnight snack.”

“In that case,” Susan said, “we’ll stop by Winn-Dixie on the way home.”

Back at camp, I took the groceries into the clubhouse kitchen and gave Christy the nickel tour.

“Everyone really cooks and eats all together?” she asked.

“Mmm hmm, although lately we’ve stayed in one of the bigger cabins with its own kitchen.”

“And… is that the only shower?”

“Oh, crap. I forgot about that.” The shower area was completely open to that part of the clubhouse, including the door from the road. “You want me to

see if we can move to one of the cabins?”

“No,” she said. “We’ll make it work… somehow.”

“You can shower tonight, or early in the morning. I’ll stand guard or something.”

“No, I won’t make you do that.”

Mom came into the clubhouse and joined us.

“I’m going to change into something more comfortable and then go relax with Susan,” she said. She didn’t invite us to join her, which told me all I needed to know. “Doug and Olivia are going to the drive-in to see the late movie. Erin’s going with them.”

I blinked in surprise. “Really?”

“Mmm hmm. She was going to ask if you and Christy wanted to hang out in the hot tub—”

Christy shot me a startled look.

“—but I suggested the movies instead.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“You’re welcome. I thought you and Christy might like some… time to yourselves. The hot tub up here hasn’t been winterized, but I don’t know how long it’ll take to heat up. Or you can build a fire in the fireplace. She thinks Gunny kept some firewood behind the clubhouse. Or… just relax in your room and unwind.”

“Thanks. We’ll probably do that.”

She nodded and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Goodnight. Christy, it’s been a pleasure getting to know you better. I’m sorry it’s under the circumstances, but…”

“That’s okay. It’s been a pleasure. Even under the circumstances.”

Mom left, and Christy waited until the door closed behind her.

“Your mom is totally amazing,” she said, “but did she just encourage us to…?”

“To what?”

“Get up to hanky-panky?”

“Yeah,” I said with a laugh. “She did.”

“For real?”

“For real. She knows we’re grown-ups.”

Christy stared in disbelief. “I can’t imagine…”

“My family’s a little different than yours.”

“You can say that again.”

“My family’s a little different than yours.”

“I deserved that,” she said with a rueful grin.

“Yep. Now, you wanna cut up veggies for a snack later?”

“You know me so well.”

“I do, my beautiful little bunny.”

We washed vegetables in companionable silence. While we were cutting them, we heard Doug and the girls drive out.

Christy’s head came up, and I saw her working out who was where.