Chapter 53

“See?” I prodded. “And that’s after I moved away and came out.”

Speak of the devil, and he doth come lumbering into the kitchen bellowing, “So are we gonna eat, or what? Where is everybody?”

“We’re out here,” I called back, laughing. “Five feet away from you, I might add. No need to holler down to Main Street.”

“Thanks, Fox,” Mikey said as we climbed out of the oversize chairs to go in and eat. “I wish I had a guy like you for a dad.”

“Would you not tell your mom that?” I joshed, pulling him into a hug. “I’m in enough trouble with her already.”

“You and me both.”

* * * *

After lunch, Mikey announced that he was off to the county courthouse to get the marriage license squared away.

“Wait up a second, I’ll walk up there with you,” Thumper said.

“You can’t really walk it,” Mikey said. “County seat’s up in Banks, about thirty miles up the road.”

“Should we both go with you?” I asked. “Won’t there be stuff to sign?”