Secrets

crews, the staging team, and the crazies of Summerville all bustling around in a rush. The gold fabric covered chairs lined neatly, flowers attached to the backs of each, all facing the decorated entrance of his barn. There was a five-tiered cake sitting on a cloth-covered table on his deck, a cake that when delivered had almost been dropped thanks to Hya, her cane and a rouge chicken. There were musicians warming up, including Sal who was planning on gifting those gathered with song, and another table loaded down with presents wrapped in silver and gold. The Belles were in the crowd; all dressed in blue gowns, but the style of those gowns fit with their individual styles. One of the women from the florist was trying to track them down to hand them their bouquets. It was only a couple hours away from the big event. After everything he had been through in the past year, this was going to be a piece of cake.

It had been a month after he and Arissa settled nicely into living together that he had finally gone to visit his parents. He had asked Sean to do his best to put them in minimum-security facility because though they had committed murder, they were elderly and didn’t need to live the harsh life of maximum-security inmate. Sean complied. It was only after many nightly talks with Arissa, her reasoning, that had him forgiving them. Even with all the wrong they did him, they also gave him a life. It may have been a sheltered life, one that at the times he never understood and even questioned, but nonetheless, it was a good life and that couldn’t be ignored. He didn’t condone what they had done. They deserved the punishment that was handed to them. But the fact that they had molded him into the man he became said something, something deep within himself that also couldn’t be ignored.

So, every two months he and Arissa made the trip to the prison to visit them. Also, during this time, he gave his birth mother a proper service. They didn’t have a body or ashes to bury but they did have a locket that was found at Harley Aldridge’s place, it held a photo of his mother. It was the first time Hank had ever seen her. It wasn’t easy but he had Arissa by his side to deal. It was that locket that they buried along with a picture of Hank as a baby in the Summerville Cemetery. His mother had gotten herself clean for him, had wanted him, and had lost him but they were together now in a small way. And Hank could visit the woman that gave him life whenever he wanted. The past few months hadn’t been smooth sailing, it was bumpy as fuck, but when you had a good woman by your side, it made that ride bearable.

Hank’s name was called, breaking him from his thoughts. He turned to see Dmitri Russo holding up a small bow tie in his hand. “I was told not to bother you, but I’ve heard about your many Hilda interventions to know you’re the only one who can do it.”

Only in Summerville would you find the sheriff putting a bow tie around a chicken’s neck. “Give it to me,” Hank said, pulling the material out of Dmitri’s hand.

“Thanks,” Dmitri said coyly.

Hank whistled and moments later Hilda appeared from the barn. Her head jerked around, trying to find where the sound came from. Hank whistled again and in seconds Hilda was making her way toward him. Jesus that chicken had to be bred with a dog at how loyal she was to Hank.

“Come on, girl.” Hank patted his leg and Hilda took the deck stairs like she was in a fashion show, one at a time. Hank bent, Hilda came right to him. He wrapped the bow around her neck. “Okay, listen, I don’t see a fucking reason for you to be wearing it myself, but that’s what everyone wants.” Hilda squawked and ruffled her feathers. “I know, I know. Promise once the ceremony is over, I’ll take it off.” He patted her head, rose, stuck his hand in his pocket and threw down a hefty amount of toasted pumpkin seeds, something Arissa had brought the last time she was out at Ed’s farm. Hilda seemed to enjoy them more than the regular.

“You get chicken shit on that suit, Hank, I’m gonna kill you,” Hya said as she walked across the deck and into the house.

“She’s a sweet one, isn’t she?” Noah chuckled and took a pull from his beer.

Mike laughed. “Should have seen her and the rest of them last weekend at the bachelorette party.” Mike shook his head like he was trying to erase a memory. “Never gonna get the image of a naked drunk Hya outta my head.”

“You try therapy?” Noah asked seriously.

Hank chimed in. “What about shock therapy?”

“Shock therapy.” Mike nodded slowly, the idea sounding like a good one. “I might look into that.”

“Brains already fucked, so what’s the worst that can happen,” Noah added before draining his beer. “Thinking of moving back.”

Both men’s heads turned to him. “Yeah?” Hank asked.

Noah nodded. “Yeah, think it’s time to come home and settle down.”

Just then Hya appeared, rushing across the deck, taking the steps quickly and shouting to Danielle McHugh.

“Bring lots of aspirin and protective eye gear when you do.” Mike deadpanned as all men kept their eyes trained on Hya, her cane high in the air.

“What the hell is that?” Hya shouted, her cane jerking to the flowers. “That is not what we agreed to.” Her cane was now shaking in Danielle’s face.

“I couldn’t get pink.” It was not lost on Danielle that she was usually the temperamental one, but having already had one run in with the cane wielding Hya, she wasn’t eager to have another.

Hya leaned closer and spit out the next words. “Peach…PEACH! Any other color but peach.” She threw