“So, Jodie and Russ talked me into having a barbecue next weekend.”
“Oh, like your dad used to? That’s cool.”
“Dad used to have barbecues?”
“Yeah, once in a blue moon. Sometimes, if he was doing alright, he would keep back a goat kid in the fall and have one for my mama’s birthday or Veterans Day or Fourth of July. A couple of them, there’d be cars parked almost to my place.”
“Can you and Frankie make it?”
“Prob’ly. I’ll check with her.”
“Okay.” Elliot had finished his burger, and we were both working on our nachos. “Hey, so tell me if it’s none of my business, but are you and Frankie getting serious?”
“No, that’s alright. Yeah, we’re doing good. We talked a little while we were gone. She’s trying to bring in another vet, so she can ease off and go do things when she wants to. It’s hard to bring someone in from outside who’ll do things the way she wants them done. And she wants somebody who’ll live here and not just drive in from Boise. She ain’t going to do nothing until that’s all settled.”
Elliot carried his paper plate into the kitchen and threw it away, and I sat at the breakfast bar while he wiped down the counter.
“We both been on our own a long time, and it’d be hard to learn to live together, but I could see doing that someday. We ain’t there yet, though. She’s beautiful, right? The way her eyes crinkle up when she laughs.” Elliot leaned against the counter behind him.
“Yeah, she’s gorgeous.”
“I guess I still can’t believe she wants to spend time with me. I’m kind of a moldy piece of bread, not that there’s much better going on around here.”
“Elliot, you sell yourself short. You’re a pretty cool guy. You’re a great friend, and not too bad looking.”
“Now ...” Elliot full-on blushed. I guess he wasn’t expecting a compliment. He actually looked cute.
“I can’t wait to know Frankie better. How was the horse you picked up?”
“Horses. When we got there, they had a second horse from the same rescue that needed some work. The two horses had bonded, so she ended up taking them both. You should have seen how quickly she learned those horses. She’s a wonder.”
“Wow. That’s neat. So Frankie has a horse property?”
“She has about ten acres, but she’s keeping these two on a property next to the clinic until she’s ready to introduce them to her other horses. You should drive by and see ‘em.”
“I will sometime.” I risked talking mushy stuff again. “Elliot, it’s good to see you happy.”
“Yeah, it was touch and go there for a while. I still get choked up sometimes, ‘specially being around here.” He buffed the floor with his sock-covered foot. “You musta got that mess cleared up with Russ and Jodie? With them helping you with the barbecue and all?”
“Well, it took a while. I don’t blame Russ; he was just worried about his daughter. Jodie was the one killing me, taking so long to work through it. You know, there’s a library board member that keeps trying to get her fired for being gay.”
“That’s illegal, right? They’d get sued.”
“Nope, not in Idaho. But they would have to pay unemployment, maybe even a severance, and the city can’t afford that. The rest of the board keeps trying to shut the woman up, but she won’t let it go. She’s a real pain in the ass. Jodie ordered Russ to stay out of it, though, since it has to do with her work.”
“And she’s related to the Crabtree that worked here at the farm?”
“Jodie said he was her son.”
“Well, he usually starts checking for work in September, when haying winds down. So, I guess we’ll see if shows up here again.”
“Will we need extra help?”
“Prob’ly. Once you start getting ready for winter, you’ll be happy to pay someone to muck out stalls and stack hay.”
“Okay. We’ll see, I guess.”
“Hey, you said Dad kept back a goat. Did he kill it and slaughter it himself?”
“No, there’s a guy in Nampa. You know, there may be one in the freezer.”
“What freezer?”
“The one in the tool shed.”
“Oh. Yeah.” I didn’t have the heart to tell him I didn’t know there was a freezer in the tool shed.
“Hey, did you bring a video?”
“Yeah, The Yearling. Have you seen it?”
“Oh, man, that’s a downer. How about we watch something on TV? Unless your heart’s set on it?”
“No, not at all.” I kept thinking something was missing. “Where’s the cat?”
“Pork Chop? He’s under my mom’s bed. He won’t come out for a couple of days. He’s mad because my neighbor’s been feeding him.”
Elliot flipped through the channels until he found Grumpy Old Men about to start, and we settled in to watch. I like hanging out with Elliot.
July 4, 2013
We got to Liv and Nate’s about two in the afternoon, and Liv was doing her best not to get manic. She had invited a bunch of Nate’s co-workers and some of her new BSU friends, and everyone was due to be there around five. Nate had to help his parents get a new air conditioner and install it, so everything had fallen to her. By the looks of her house, she’d been up since dawn. Everything was spotless, and the snacks and accoutrements would accommodate thirty to forty people.
As soon as we were inside the door, Liv pushed me towards her bedroom. “Hey, guys! Good to see you again, Jodie. Can I steal Billie for a sec? I need to ask her advice on something.”
She didn’t wait
