Change

by Melissa Stevens

  Chapter 13

  Saturday morning I called Mom. I wanted to ask if it would be all right with her if I brought Devon to Sunday dinner. Because I know how my family is, I made sure it was clear that I'm not dating him, or anyone else for that matter. But I thought it would give us all a chance to catch up, and I hoped, cheer Devon up some. I told her he seemed kind of lost and lonely, I was hoping that the family could make him feel more at home, more at ease. I knew my family would probably think I was bringing home a boyfriend to meet the family, despite anything I said. But I knew that Devon had spent enough time with the Daniels Clan that he could take the ribbing that was sure to occur. She told me to bring him, I didn't tell her that he felt out of place with his own family, just that he had recently moved back to the area after being discharged and I thought we all might enjoy the chance to catch up and get reacquainted.

  That afternoon I went down to Devon's apartment and knocked on the door. I smiled when he opened the door.

  "Hello!" I said, "How's your day going?"

  "So far so good, come on in," He invited, "I’m limited on seating, but you’re welcome to what I have. I haven't had a chance to find much furniture or do any unpacking." I saw that there were a few pieces of furniture in the apartment, bookshelves, an older, used sofa, and through the bedroom doorway I could see the foot of a bed.

  "That's all right. I expected as much, I came bearing an invitation..."

  "Oh?"

  "I wanted to invite you to Sunday dinner at my parents' tomorrow. The family would love to have a chance to see you again, even if Pace isn't going to be there."

  "Are you sure? They won't think that you're bringing home a boyfriend to meet the family?"

  "I called my mom this morning. I told her I ran into you last night and that you were moving back to town, I thought you might like to catch up with the family. Then I told her that Sunday dinner would be the perfect chance, as most of us are all together then, and other than birthdays and major holidays it rarely ever happens any other time. I tried to make it clear that we're not dating, just to be safe. But honestly? They'll probably think so anyway, you gonna let that scare you away?" I challenged.

  "If it won't bother you, it won't bother me," He laughed, "I just wanted to check. If you're sure you want me, I'd like to go. I enjoy your family. I like how accepting you all are of the differences among you and love each of you because of them, not despite them."

  "Me too. Just a reminder, they have no clue what I am. You can't mention anything about the Kindred to them." We moved farther into his apartment, which appeared to be the same floor plan as mine, but without the furniture and knickknacks I’d collected to clutter it.

  "Not a problem, I'm used to keeping the Kindred secret."

  "I didn't think it would be, but I wanted to remind you."

  "So, do you want me to meet you there? Or would you rather ride together since it's the same trip for us both?"

  "Well, I go early to help mom cook and I often stay after to help her clean up, but if you don't mind hanging around there's no reason we can't go together. Why take two vehicles when there's no reason to?"

  "I don't mind going early or staying late. I've got nowhere else to be and I might as well enjoy spending the time with your family."

  "Great, I'm planning on leaving at about four thirty. I'll stop by and pick you up on my way out."

  "That's fine. Should I bring anything?"

  "Just you. Mom will be thrilled just to have you. Oh... I was gonna ask. How well do you do with kids?"

  "Haven't had a whole lot of exposure, but I do alright. Why?"

  "Britt's got two. They're four and one and they've never met a stranger who wasn't just a new mountain to climb." I smiled at the thought of them climbing all over him.

  "I think I can handle that." Devon laughed, "The innocence and honesty of little ones can be refreshing."

  "Refreshing... that's one word for it. Though, probably not the one I would've chosen off hand." I remembered more than one occurrence when little Jimmy had shouted some remark that I found more embarrassing than refreshing. "Do you need any help unpacking?" I glanced around, it didn't look like he had had a chance to do more than carry boxes in and stack them in the front room so far.

  "I can manage. I'll get it done eventually."

  "Of course you can, but if you have some help it'll go much faster, even if I just pull things out of boxes and stack them on the counter to be put away. And really, it isn't like you dragged me in here and chained me to it... I offered."

  "Well, if you really want to… I just managed to get it all in here. I haven't even had time to sort what goes in what room."

  "Let's tackle it... We'll see what we can get done in a couple hours, and then I'll let you pay me for my labor by feeding me."

  "You've got a deal," He turned to grab the nearest box and carry it into the kitchen. "The boxes are all labeled as to what room they go in, so it should be a pretty easy sort."

  "Do you want to sort them all out and then have boxes scattered everywhere or do you want to grab a box and unpack it, and then grab another, leaving all the boxes in the living room until they are gone?" I asked.

  "Let’s just unpack one box at a time. Somewhere in that stack are two or three boxes of books that go in those." He motioned to a set of bookcases that were standing against one wall, "They'll be heavy so be careful."

  "I'll keep that in mind." I replied, turning and picking up the nearest box, I got started.

  We worked for about three hours and had made quite a dent in the stacks of boxes scattered through his living room when Devon called a halt.

  "Enough for now. Let's take a break, order some pizza and get something to drink. If I had my screen set up, I'd say screw it, let's watch a film."

  "Well, how about you call and order the pizza, and while we wait for the delivery we can set up the screen. Then once it gets here we can pick something and watch it."

  "That sounds like a good plan," He said, "What do you like on your pizza?"

  "I prefer mushrooms and spinach, but I'll eat pepperoni and diced tomatoes too."

  "Hmm, I'm a meat lover’s man. How about we meet in the middle and get pepperoni and mushrooms?"

  "Sounds good to me."

  "Let me call it in, I'll be right back. I think the screen is rolled up in the corner next to the bookcases."

  "I'll look for it while you call."

  He nodded, stepping out onto the patio attached to his apartment to make the call. I went into the living room and started looking for the screen. I found it rolled into a tube standing in the corner, right where Devon said it would be. I started moving boxes away from the only wall big enough to put the screen on. I picked them up and stacked them easily with my still developing strength. When I found a box labeled books or films, instead of stacking them among the ones I was stacking out of the way, I put them in front of the book cases to be unpacked. Unpacking the books would be a quick job and one that would make a lot of difference in the look of the place. I also set the box labeled sound equipment in the center of the room. I was betting we'd need that to hook up the screen and watch something.

  "Wow, you were busy!" Devon came back into the house, surprised to see how much I had gotten done.

  "I figured I might as well get as much done as I could so that we can hook up the screen. Do you know where the hooks are?"

  "Sure, I dropped them in the top of the tool box so they'd be easy to find when I was ready for them." He headed into the dining area where he left his toolbox standing open. He came back carrying three small hooks, similar to what pictures are hung with, a level, a measuring tape and a hammer.

  "Done this a few times huh?" I asked, recognizing the signs of someone who was familiar with what the job would take.

  "A few…" He measured up the wall and marked a small line with a pencil he pulled out of his shirt pocket. He moved over a couple feet and did the same thing. "Can you hold the other end of
this for me?" he asked, picking up the level. I held the level at the mark he had made with the pencil. Measuring across it he marked three small x's before lowering the level and using the hammer to hang the three hooks he had brought with him. I picked up the tube that was the screen. I handed him one end and we unrolled it, snapped it open and hung it on the hooks he’d just mounted. It hung smooth and straight as the flexible electronic was designed to do. Devon took his tools back to the tool box and returned with the knife we had been using to open boxes. He cut open the box labeled sound equipment and handed me the knife.

  "I can handle this if you want to dig out the films. I've got hooking this stuff up down to a science, it won’t take me more than a few minutes."

  "Sure," I turned around and cut open not just the box marked films but the boxes that held the books as well, "I might as well do them all while I'm here, it won’t take that long. Do you want the books or movies sorted in any particular manner?"

  "Nah, just get them up. If I want them sorted later, I can do it then."

  "Will do," I pulled open the box of films. I started lining the small cases up on the shelves closest to the screen, carefully placing them so that you could see the name on the side of each case. It didn't take more than a few minutes; Devon didn't have a large collection of films. I soon discovered that the rest of the box was filled with books. Obviously his book collection was larger than his film collection. I finished unpacking the first box and broke it down before moving on to another while Devon was unpacking the small speakers and moving around the room plugging them into the wall where he wanted them.

  Devon was just finishing up with the speakers and I was almost done with my second box of books when the doorbell rang, startling me. I'd been admiring Devon's collection of books, it was obvious that it was a collection and not just what he had gathered over the last few years. There were a lot of classics, and whether you were looking for horror, sci-fi, thrillers or mysteries, you could find something that would interest you. It also looked as though he had all or at least most of a couple author's work. I was seriously impressed. I don't have the inclination to collect hard covers like these, I'm content to read on my PCD and have the space for something else, but I still marveled over the time and money investment to put together a collection like this.

  When Devon closed the front door he was holding a pizza box, I quickly flipped the box I’d just emptied over and set it on the floor in front of his sofa to use as a table. He set the pizza on top of the box and disappeared into the kitchen. I heard water run and then shut off. After a couple moments he emerged again, this time carrying a pair of plates, with napkins sitting on top of them in one hand and a pair of beer bottles in the other.

  "Pick a film, and let's sit down and actually take that break I called for half an hour ago." He said.

  I went back to where I had neatly lined up the films, and I looked through them again. I pulled out a movie almost as old as I am and tossed it at him. "It's an oldie but a goodie, based on and even older book series. Looking at all this," I motioned to the book collection, "I'll bet you've even read the books."

  He deftly caught the small case, and checked the title. "You'd be right. But I have to admit, this is the best film version of the series that's ever been made. Did you know they filmed all three movies at once, in New Zealand? It was something they'd never done before."

  "Yeah, I know, and I suspected you would too." I grinned at him, "I'll be right back, if you don't mind I'm going to wash my hands before I eat, they're all covered with dust from unpacking." I held up my hands, waving my dirty fingers.

  "Go ahead, there's soap next to the sink in the kitchen. I did mine while I was in there."

  In the kitchen and quickly washed my hands, drying them on the towel he'd used and left folded on the counter. It occurred to me that Devon may be the neatest man I’ve ever known. All of my brothers are slobs, and while Dad wasn't quite a slob he wasn't as neat as Devon seemed to be, at least so far.

  I joined Devon in the living room and sat down on the couch. He'd closed up the box that had held the speakers and set it beside to the box I had set in front of the couch. He'd centered the pizza box over the two of them and set a plate on either side, with a napkin tucked under the edge of it. He had a beer sitting next to each plate. I could see that he had plugged the film into the screen, but was waiting for me before he started the playback. He spotted me as I walked into the room.

  "Have a seat. The boxes'll have to do until I can find a sofa table. I’ve got some shopping to do to make this place livable," He made a sour face. Laughing, I took a seat next to him on the couch and he continued, "Help yourself, I'll get this started and then have some."

  I flipped open the pizza box and saw that he’d ordered an extra-large pizza smothered in mushrooms and pepperoni. It looked good and the sight of it made me realize that I was far hungrier than I'd realized.

  I pulled a couple of slices out of the box and set them on the plate in front of me before I closed the box again to help hold in the heat. I bent over my plate as I lifted a slice so I could take a bite. As I pulled away to sit up-right, I tugged at the strings of cheese that were trailing back to the slice of pizza, and finally broke them. I reached over and grabbed the beer bottle and thought twice. I could handle the bottle without breaking it. I was sure of that, but I wasn't as sure that I could grip it just hard enough to twist the top off without gripping it hard enough to break the glass. I held the bottle for just a moment until I could swallow the pizza in my mouth, and I turned to Devon who was closing the box after pulling out his own pieces.

  "Can I get you to do me a favor?" I asked.

  "No problem. What you need?"

  "Can you open this? I'm afraid I'll break it if I try." I extended the beer toward him.

  "Not sure of your strength yet?"

  "No, I'm sure. Sure that I haven't learned enough finesse to manage it yet. I can handle glass and glasses without breaking it but I'm pretty certain I'd break the bottle if I tried to open it." I said, laughing at myself. He deftly twisted the top off the bottle and handed back to me, I leaned forward and picked up my plate.

  "Thanks." I sat back on the couch. I wedged the beer bottle between my thighs as I held the plate and worked on eating the pizza on it. The opening scene of the film started and with a pitch black screen, the voice of the narrator began explaining about the world being changed and the creation of the rings.

  I knocked on Devon's door at four-thirty Sunday afternoon and waited. When he opened the door and stepped out to join me I saw that he'd dressed up. Well, he'd dressed better. He wasn't wearing the jeans and t-shirt I'd seen him in the last two times I'd seen him. Instead he was wearing a nice pair of khaki slacks, pressed so they had a crease running down the front of each leg, and a patterned blue polo shirt. I looked him up and down, admiring the new look and I noticed that he even had on a pair of dress shoes. He had his hair smoothed back into a neat ponytail. He looked sharp.

  "Wow!" I said, impressed, "You look great, but you didn't have to dress up. Sunday dinner with the family may be mandatory, but it's casual."

  "I wasn't sure I so I split the difference. Plus, it can't hurt to make a good impression. No one's seen me since I was a rebellious teenager, if I'm good they might change their minds about me."

  "Ha!" I laughed, reaching up and flipping the end of his ponytail into the air, "As if this wasn't a dead give-away that your rebellion is still alive and well!"

  "Do you think that'll bother them?" He asked.

  "I don't see why it should. Raine's hair is longer than mine and yours put together, and no one rides him about it."

  Devon looked at me, speechless with surprise. "Raine?"

  "Yep. And it just makes me more suspicious that he has Native American blood in there somewhere. You'll know what I mean when you see him. Why are you so worried about what they'll think of you? It's not like you need to impress them, you've known them forever. You
just haven't seen them or most of the town for a few years."

  "Yeah, I know, but I still want to make a good impression."

  I just chuckled, "Then let's go. You can watch sports with Dad or sit in the kitchen and talk to Mom and I while we cook."

  "I'm on my way," he locked the door to before he pulled it closed. We walked out to my car.

  I opened the door to my parents’ house and motioned Devon inside, before walking in myself. I took Devon down the hall to the living room to see my father where I re-introduced him.

  "Dad, you remember Devon Wilson?"

  "Sure, it's been a while hasn't it?" He asked, briefly taking his attention off the screen in front of him.

  "Yes, Sir."

  "You'll need to excuse me for a bit. I'm in the middle of this game and I know I'll only get to watch it until the grandkids get here."

  "No problem." Devon said, smiling.

  "Dad, we're gonna go in the other room with Mom. I'm gonna help her cook dinner. I'll be back after Brit gets here with the monsters when we can actually talk to you."

  He nodded but didn't look away from the screen as we left the room. I lead Devon into the kitchen. I hugged Mom before I reintroduced them.

  "Mom, you remember Devon."

  "Of course I do," She said, hugging him too, "Can I get you something to drink?" She asked, "I want you to make yourself at home. You're more than welcome to have a seat in here and talk to us while James watches his game, or you can go in and watch it with him. But I'll warn you, he’ll stay glued to that thing until the game’s over or the little ones get here,"

  Devon rubbed one hand over his jaw before saying, "Well, Ma'am, I don't think I could just sit here and watch the two of you work, and watching sports would be even worse. How about I pitch in and help? I don't have much experience in the kitchen but I can follow directions with the best of them. Just tell me what to do and you've got an extra set of hands." I think this endeared him to my mother even more.

  "You really don't have to do that," Mom tried to convince him.

  "Yes, I do. I would be unpacking my apartment for weeks if Nickie hadn't shown up yesterday and insisted on pitching in. The least I can do is help cook a meal I'm gonna eat."

  "If you insist," She conceded, "Can you peel potatoes?"

  "Are you kidding? I peeled hundreds of potatoes before I left home, I might be a little rusty but I can get the job done. Point me to the potatoes and give me a knife and I'll have them naked for you in no time."

  "Here's the potatoes, the peeler and a bowl," She set them on the counter in front of him, "For a crowd our size we need to fill that bowl with peeled potatoes."

  "No problem, I'll have 'em done in no time." He went to the sink to wash his hands before getting to work on the large bag of potatoes she’d set on the counter top for him.

  As we worked, Mom questioned Devon, "Nickie tells me you've spent the last ten years with the Army, but that now you're back to stay. Your mother must be happy to have you home."

  "She is," He replied, "She'd pretty much given up on me ever coming home and settling down. My folks figured I'd go career Army and if I ever got married and had kids, I'd take them all over the world with me and they wouldn't get to see much of them. Honestly, the idea worked pretty well for me, not the part about not seeing my family but the career military and traveling part. I really enjoyed what I did. What never occurred to any of us was that I'd get hurt and end up discharged. So now I'm back and though I'm not even considering settling down or having kids, Mom has high hopes."

  "I'm sure she does. Is she fixing you up with girls yet, or is she still in the hinting stage?" Mom asked.

  "She's still hinting, though not subtly. She keeps suggesting different girls that she thinks would be good for me to settle down with. This girl comes from a good family. Another girl is pretty and sweet, she would make a good mother someday. And we all know that Mom would rather that someday came sooner rather than later. I'd hoped that my sister Amy's kids would've soothed her desire for grandkids, at least a little, but it seems it's just the opposite. Now that she has a couple she wants more and she's after all three of us to provide them for her."

  "Some of us are like that, though I like to think that I'm not a pusher," she smiled at me before continuing, "I love my grandkids, and I'll be thrilled for more, when the kids are ready to give them to me. I have six kids spread out over eleven years; that just means that I'll get my grandkids spread out too. It'll give me longer to enjoy them all." She laughed.

  "Well, I have to admit; all her pushing kinda makes me want to avoid her, just so I don't have to hear it. I keep hoping she'll get over it and give up when I don't cave, but I don't have high hopes." He tossed a freshly pealed potato into the bowl in front of him.

  "Well, now you have a place of your own again. What are your other plans?" Mom wanted to know.

  "I'm gonna have to find a job, at least something part time. I'm gonna be picky about what do though, my disability will hold me for a while, as long as I don't go hog wild."

  "What exactly is it you're looking for?" Mom asked.

  "I don't really know what I want exactly; it's more of what I don't want. I don't want to go to the mine, and I really don't want a desk job, though in the end, I'll take either if I have to. What I really want is something that's physical but not so demanding that I can't take a break or quit for the day when this leg gives me too much trouble."

  "So, what you really need is a person, not a company to work for, one who would be reasonable and flexible?"

  "You know, that's exactly what I need," He smiled at Mom's evaluation of his situation, "I haven't really looked into it yet. I've only been in town a couple weeks, and I spent most of that looking for an apartment and moving in."

  "That's understandable." Mom paused for a moment, thinking, "You know, every summer James hires a high school boy to help him out around here. Someone to do the heaviest work now that he's getting a little older and the boys both have jobs that keep them from helping. But kids that age can be so unreliable and then they quit when school starts leaving James with all the work again. It's more work some days than others, and we can't compete with the mine or larger farms for pay, but I'm sure James would appreciate reliable help if you were interested." She offered.

  "Well, Ma'am, I don't need a whole lot. My check from the military covers most of my expenses. My aim is to make up the difference and have a little left over for spending and to build some savings. I’d really like something that lets me exercise my leg, and it sounds like helping Mr. Daniels might be just what I need. I'll go talk to him about it and thanks for thinking of me." He peeled the last potato and dropped it into the bowl before carrying the whole thing over the sink and filling it with water to wash the potatoes.

  "Thanks for peeling those for me. There's not much left to do and Nickie and I've got it covered easily. Why don't you have a seat and just visit with us or you can go in the other room and visit with James, it's up to you."

  "I think I'll go see how the game is going, and see if he's ready to talk to someone yet."

  "That will depend on how his team's doing." I said, "I'll be done here in a few minutes and then I'll be in there."

  Mom and I got everything we needed to done and I was finishing off the dishes when I heard the front door open. I picked up a towel and used it to dry my hands as I stepped out of the kitchen. I looked down the hall and saw the back side of Raine disappear into the living room. I set the folded towel on the counter top before going into the living room to join them for a few minutes.

  I noticed that the screen had been turned off, which meant Dad's game must have gotten over. I bent and hugged Raine where he sat.

  "Raine, you remember Devon Wilson don't you?" I asked.

  "Didn't you run around with Pace's gaggle?" Raine asked, clearly remembering him.

  "Yeah, I ran into him the other day as he was moving into my apartment complex, I thought it would be ni
ce let everyone catch up," I said.

  "It's good to see you man. What've you been up to?"

  "I joined the Army, did a couple of enlistments. I was planning on making a career of it until I managed to take a fall during training and shatter my leg. They did their best to reconstruct it, but there's only so much they could do and it wasn't enough for me to stay. They ended up discharging me, and I decided to come home." Devon said, giving Dad and Raine his story. He turned to Dad, "Mrs. Daniels said you typically hire a high school kid to help you out around the place during the summer, do a lot of the heavy lifting and such. Is there any chance I can talk you into giving that to me?"

  "Are you sure you want something like that?" Dad asked, clearly skeptical that it was a job Devon really wanted, "We don't pay that much, definitely not enough to live on." He warned.

  "I don't need much money to live on. The Army gives me a disability and it covers most of my expenses. I need something for a little spending or savings money and to keep me from going insane. What I’m really after is something physical. Something that'll help me strengthen this leg, but I need a boss who’ll let me take a break or call it a day if it just gets to be too much and I can't do that working at the mine or for some big company."

  "I guess I can understand that," Dad said, still not sure, "But are you sure you wanna do a lot of rough and dirty farm work?"

  "That sounds about perfect to me," Devon said honestly, "And I'll tell you what, give me a week or two to learn how you do things and I'll trade you weekends. I'll work every other Saturday and Sunday and let you have some time off... How long has it been since you had a day off, one where you didn't have to worry about being sure the animals got fed, or anything?" Devon was obviously trying to sweeten the deal and convince Dad to let him have the job.

  "It's been a long time, I admit." Dad said, and I could see him weakening, "Longer than I can remember off hand."

  "I'm more reliable, even with this bum leg, than most high school kids. I'd even be willing to take over for a week or two and let you take that beautiful wife of yours out of town on a second honeymoon."

  "Now boy, you know what buttons to push don't you? You just got yourself a job. I usually start feeding at about six, but if you show up by five fifteen or so that wife of mine will feed you too."

  "I wouldn't want to impose." Devon said.

  "Not at all," Mom said, stepping into the room, having heard most of the last bit from the hallway, "I miss not having anyone around to feed. I spent years cooking for my kids and the myriad of their friends that were always hanging around. I'm up and cooking for James anyway, it's no trouble at all to make enough for you too."

  "Well, if you're sure."

  "I am. You show up by five fifteen and I'll feed you like you deserve."

  "Thank you, Ma'am, I appreciate it."

  "When do you want to start?" Dad asked.

  "Well, when do you need me?" Devon asked a question of his own.

  "Would tomorrow be too soon?"

  "Not at all. I'll be here bright, early, and ready to work."

  I heard the front door open and my sister Brittney and her family come in. It's hard to mistake the yelling and excitement of her kids for anyone else. I got up and met the kids coming down the short hallway.

  I snatched Jimmy up off the floor as he ran by and threatened to tickle him into submission for running in the house again.

  "What am I going to do with you?" I snarled at him, me pretending to be a monster has been a game between us for a long time. "I think I'll take you and feed you to the mean old Grandpa monster."

  "YEAH, YEAH!! GRANDPA!!" He yelled. I tucked him under one arm and proceeded to carry him like a football toward the living room where the Grandpa monster was hiding. "Britt?" I called over my shoulder.

  "Yeah?" I heard her ask.

  "You remember Devon Wilson right? Ran with Pace's group in school?"

  "Oh, yeah! How have you been?" I heard her ask him as we entered the living room; I continued to wrestle with the wiggling boy in my arms. I walked over to where Dad was sitting in his recliner and I started to lower Jimmy down over him.

  "Grandpa, I brought you a wiggly little boy to eat. He might be a little squirmy but he should be nice and tender."

  "Let me have him," Dad reached up to take the squirming boy from me, "I've been hungry for some little boy, and I may just have to tickle him into good behavior." Dad proceeded to tickle the already wiggly boy now lying across his lap, making him squirm and squeal at the treatment.

  I turned back to my sister and lifted Tammy out of her arms.

  "And how are you doing today, Little One? Has your mama been treating you right?" I lifted her high above my head, wiggling her gently as she giggled at me. I bounced her up and down several times before settling her down on my hip again. "And how has your brother been?" I asked, still talking to the baby, "Is he playing nice? Or is he teasing you and pulling your hair?" She just giggled in response, Jimmy finally managed to squirm free of the tickling his grandfather was giving him and he climbed down from his lap just in time for me to set Tammy down with Dad, where she quickly snuggled against him. I lead Jimmy over to the corner and got him interested in some of the toys stacked there, before going back into the kitchen to finish dinner.

  I was putting the ice bucket back in the freezer after filling the glasses on the table when the front door opened again. The newest scent in the house told me that the newcomer was Cam, just in time to sit down for dinner. Mom stepped into the living room and announced dinner was ready. Everyone walked into the dining room and started taking seats, but Devon hung back, waiting to be told where he was supposed to sit.

  "Just pick one, Devon, no one bites, except maybe Tammy." I said, watching the indecision on his face. I placed both hands in the middle of his back and gently pushed him toward the table. I sensed Cam walk into the room behind me. "Cam," I said, "You remember Devon Wilson?"

  "Yeah, I remember him." Cam turned to Devon "How you doing, Man?"

  "Not bad, you?"

  "Can't complain." He replied as we all took our seats, Devon snagging a chair next to mine. We had started passing dishes around the table and serving our selves.

  "So, Nick, you making an announcement?" Cam asked, "Bringing someone to Sunday dinner can be quite a statement." I heard the teasing note in his voice but I could also see the embarrassment creep up Devon's neck.

  "No, Blockhead," I snapped, sorry that my brother's teasing was embarrassing Devon, "I ran into Devon as he was moving into my apartment complex, and we got to talking. He's just moved back to the area and I thought it would be nice to bring him to dinner and let him catch up with everyone."

  "Ahh..." Cam grinned mischievously, as though he thought I wasn't telling the whole truth. He turned to Devon and asked "So, what're you doing these days?"

  "I've only been back in town for a couple weeks and I've spent most of that looking for a place to live. Once I had that that, I started looking for a job."

  "Don't most people do that the other way around?"

  "Generally, but since when have I been like most people? Anyway, my disability checks pay the rent and food, I was looking for a job for something to do and for the exercise"

  "Hang on, I missed something, disability? Was looking?" Confusion replaced the teasing look on Cam's face, "I thought you said you are looking, and how'd you get hurt?"

  "Training accident with the Army, I shattered my leg. I've been recovering for a year, but it's taking too long to suit the Army so they gave me a medical discharge and a disability pension. It goes farther here and my family's still around, so I moved back. And I was looking, until this evening, but I think I've found the perfect job for me."

  "So what's the new job?"

  "Helping your dad around the farm. I offered to take the position that he normally gives to high-school kids, but I went a little farther and I offered to work every other weekend and let him and your mom take some time off, maybe
go out of town for a change if they want." Devon shared.

  Cam looked surprised and so did Britt. I don't think it had occurred to either of them that Mom and Dad almost never get to take vacations because someone always has to be around to make sure the animals get fed.

  "That's a lot of physical labor; do you think your leg'll hold up?" Cam asked.

  "I think so, but I need to work it and strengthen it anyway. Your dad will understand if I need a few minutes rest or to quit early once in a while, because of it. That's not something I could do most places."

  "And I guess if you were the kind of guy to quit early and blame your leg too often then you wouldn't be looking for the kind of job that push it and strengthen it, would you?"

  "Probably not. I'd like to get back in the kind of shape it would take for me to get back into the Army. Not that I have any intentions of rejoining, but I liked being in shape."

  "I can understand that."

  I'd kept silent through all this, knowing that if I spoke up and defended Devon in any way that Cam and the others would take it as confirmation of the assertion that Cam had made earlier, that I was bringing a boyfriend home to meet the family.

  There was plenty of chatter and visiting going on at the table as we ate; it was a friendly atmosphere with lots of laughter and teasing. Devon appeared to fit right in and enjoy the evening.

  After dinner Mom told Cam, Raine and Brittney that Devon and I had helped her get dinner on the table, and cleaning up would be their job. With that Mom, Dad, Devon, Tracy, the kids and I went into the living room and sat down. We visited for a little while and when Britt came in and offered everyone a slice of the chocolate cake that Mom had made for dessert, we all accepted. She took the kids back into the kitchen and when I offered to help serve, Britt said no that she and the boys could take care of it.

  It was about eight when Devon and I left. We had a good evening, but we both had to get up early for work the next day and wanted to call it a night.