Page 25 of Truck Me
I take a drink of my beer and nod. “Planning on it.”
“I hear it should be a good one. Rumor in town is that two of the Koch brothers plan on playing. Don’t let them goad you into doing something stupid.”
I shoot a glare at my brother. “I never do anything stupid.”
Chase chuckles. “Sure you don’t. We all do stupid shit at some point. All I’m saying is, don’t let your first act of stupidity be with those assholes. They want this house and land.”
“They can keep dreaming. That’ll never happen.”
The Koch’s insistence that we stole their family’s land is the reason there’s a multi-generational feud between our two families. They insist our great-great-grandfather stole the land from their great-great-grandfather.
In reality, their great-great-grandfather was a dumbass and a piss poor poker player. He lost hand after hand, and in an act of desperation, he bet this homestead in an attempt to win back his losses.
Didn’t work out that way. He lost this house, and all sixty acres to the Mutters in a single hand of poker.
Over the years, they’ve tried to take legal action against us, but we have the signed deed and all the transfer paperwork showing it’s ours. Since that didn’t work, the Koch family has been trying to goad us into a rematch ever since.
As if any of us would ever be that stupid.
“I’m joining Grams in this year’s Euchre tournament. We’re going to take on Ben and Johanna. Shut them up once and for all.”
I nod and take another pull from my beer. Ben and Johanna Koch, a.k.a. the parents to Linden, Aaron, Tanner, Amelia, and Jason. They’re not quite the assholes that their sons are, but they’re still fucking Kochs. Amelia and Jason aren’t that bad. And Aaron mostly keeps to himself now that he’s the town doctor. But Linden and Tanner are a different story. They’re probably the two entering the poker game. Their presence will certainly make for an interesting night.
“That means, next year it’s your turn.” Grams points at me with the wooden spoon she’s using to stir the soup beans. “And don’t you dare try to get out of it.”
I hold my hands up in surrender. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
That’s a lie. I’d do anything to get out of the Euchre tournament. Not because I don’t like playing Euchre, because I do, but I’d rather play with the guys at the bar with beer and liquor involved.
But it’s tradition that we take turns playing in the tournament with Grams. It’s something she enjoys doing, so we do it for her. Even a grumpy bear like me.
“Heard you picked up Charlotte Weber the other night,” Liam says. He’s the oldest of us Mutter brothers. He takes his usual seat at the table across from me. “Didn’t picture a beauty queen as your type.”
“I didn’t pick her up.” I growl.
“Frank saw you dropping her off at her house.” Liam smirks as he leans back with his hands clasped together behind his head. “How did he put it?” Liam looks up at the ceiling like he’s thinking. “It was after dark, so it had to be a date. I think that’s what he said.”
“Frank needs to stop staring out his window and watching his neighbors.”
Frank Haas is a nosy old man that has nothing better to do than document the comings and goings of his neighbors. It’s bad enough that he joins Mrs. Engle on all the town gossip. He owns the only restaurant in town, Frank’s Frosty Kreme, and it just happens to be across the street from Mrs. Engle’s hair salon.
“You went on a date?” Sophia, Mac’s new girlfriend, asks with way too much excitement in her voice. Typically, I’d say I like her. She’s got a lot of spunk and she keeps Mac on his toes. She’s good for him. But right now, she’s annoying me with her question, though it didn’t really sound like a question. It sounded more like a statement of fact.
“No!” I bark. “I didn’t go out on a date. Her car broke down on Highway 23. I just happened to be the first person to come up on her. I drove her home. That’s all.”
“Then you took the tow truck and pulled her car back to your garage,” Liam adds. “And at no charge, as far as I can see.”
“Saw her walking to your house the next morning too,” Mac says. He grins at me from the other end of the table as he pulls Sophia onto his lap, looking smug, like he knows something I don’t. “Imagine my surprise when I saw Bullet cozying up to her like they were old pals.”
“Ooh, Garret’s got a girl,” Ash teases from where he’s standing next to Grams, helping her cook. He’s my second youngest brother and probably the biggest goofball of all of them. It’s a toss-up between him and Chase. They both care more about having fun than anything else.
I glance around the room, and everyone is staring at me, waiting for an answer. Growling, I slam my empty beer bottle on the table and stand. “I shouldn’t have come tonight.”
I make for the door, but Grams calls out before I take two steps. “Sit your ass back in that chair.” I cut her a glare, and she puffs her chest out. She may be a tiny thing at five feet three inches, but she’s a fierce old lady. “Don’t test me, Garret. Your brothers wouldn’t razz you this much if you came around more often. Sit down and deal with it.”
I stare at her for a moment, trying my damnedest to communicate how much I want to leave with my eyes. Her expression softens, but only slightly, suggesting she understands but doesn’t give a shit. I’m stuck here until after we eat.
Growling, I head to the refrigerator and grab another beer before I take my seat at the table, avoiding all eye contact as I do.