place to set it down. His mother must have rearranged the ever-present baked goods because there was a bit more space, but there still wasn’t enough room for the coffee maker on the right side of the kitchen. He put it on the counter in front of the other coffee pot with barely an inch to spare from the edge.
It would be really nice when this part was over. Then he and his mother could work on moving past the grief and start healing in their own time and way. But for now, at least for today, they had a public funeral and half the town to deal with. He glanced up at Mr. Collins. They had some very good friends, friends they couldn’t do without right now.
“I thought if you’d like, I could drive you two over to the funeral home in our car so you don’t have to take the truck.” Chris’s father watched Luke with the same probing stare Chris tended to use on him lately.
Luke would have to try harder at pretending to be okay. “That would be real nice, sir. I suppose I should ask Mom first, in case she had other plans, but I do appreciate the offer either way.”
Mr. Collins nodded. “All right. Luke, after the funeral, there are some things I’d like to talk to you about.”
That took Luke by surprise. “Talk to me?” What could this be about?
“Yup. You’re the man of the house now, son.”
His father had left some mighty big boots to fill, and Luke wasn’t sure he was up to the challenge. Not yet anyway.
“All right.”
Luke’s cell phone vibrated in the pocket of his jeans. It was the first call he’d received in what seemed like days. People must have been trying to leave him alone and give him time.
He reached for it now and saw Slade’s name on the readout.
“Slade. Hey.”
“Hey, Luke. We’re on our way but we might be a little late.”
“You’re coming here?”
“Yeah. We were coming to be at the funeral, if that’s all right. A bunch of the guys are already there in town at a hotel. We would have been there already too if Mustang’s trailer hadn’t picked up a nail in the tire. We needed to stop and get some Fix-a-Flat and air. If you don’t want any of us there, say the word and I’ll call them all right now. We’d totally understand. It’s not a problem.”
“No, it’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting it. I figured you’d all be headed to the next stop on the tour by now.”
“We’ll get to the next venue in time, don’t worry. But we want to be there for you now.”
The melding of Luke’s professional life with his home life felt strange, but the support of his friends was touching. “I appreciate it. Thanks.”
“So anyway, we’ll get there as soon as we can.”
“All right. See you when you get here. And thanks again.”
“No problem, man. Bye.”
“Bye.” Luke disconnected the call and glanced up at Mr. Collins. “The guys are coming to the funeral.”
“That’s real nice of them. You’ve made some good friends there I see.”
“Yeah, I have. That tends to happen when you spend as much time traveling together as we do, I guess.”
“You’ll be anxious to get back on the road, I suppose.”
Luke frowned. “I hadn’t thought too much about it. Everything has been happening so quickly around here.”
Mr. Collins opened his mouth and looked as if he was about to say more when Luke’s mother rushed into the room.
“Oh, you brought the coffee maker. Thank you so much. I better set this up and get it ready now, so when we get back here later we only have to plug it in.” She hoisted it into the sink before Luke had time to take it from her. She took the top off and began filling it with water, then glanced over her shoulder. “Then I suppose we need to leave.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Again, Luke marveled at his mother’s efficiency in the face of adversity when he couldn’t bring himself to think past today. Then he noticed her hands trembling as she began measuring coffee grinds into the filter basket. She wasn’t as put together as
It would be really nice when this part was over. Then he and his mother could work on moving past the grief and start healing in their own time and way. But for now, at least for today, they had a public funeral and half the town to deal with. He glanced up at Mr. Collins. They had some very good friends, friends they couldn’t do without right now.
“I thought if you’d like, I could drive you two over to the funeral home in our car so you don’t have to take the truck.” Chris’s father watched Luke with the same probing stare Chris tended to use on him lately.
Luke would have to try harder at pretending to be okay. “That would be real nice, sir. I suppose I should ask Mom first, in case she had other plans, but I do appreciate the offer either way.”
Mr. Collins nodded. “All right. Luke, after the funeral, there are some things I’d like to talk to you about.”
That took Luke by surprise. “Talk to me?” What could this be about?
“Yup. You’re the man of the house now, son.”
His father had left some mighty big boots to fill, and Luke wasn’t sure he was up to the challenge. Not yet anyway.
“All right.”
Luke’s cell phone vibrated in the pocket of his jeans. It was the first call he’d received in what seemed like days. People must have been trying to leave him alone and give him time.
He reached for it now and saw Slade’s name on the readout.
“Slade. Hey.”
“Hey, Luke. We’re on our way but we might be a little late.”
“You’re coming here?”
“Yeah. We were coming to be at the funeral, if that’s all right. A bunch of the guys are already there in town at a hotel. We would have been there already too if Mustang’s trailer hadn’t picked up a nail in the tire. We needed to stop and get some Fix-a-Flat and air. If you don’t want any of us there, say the word and I’ll call them all right now. We’d totally understand. It’s not a problem.”
“No, it’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting it. I figured you’d all be headed to the next stop on the tour by now.”
“We’ll get to the next venue in time, don’t worry. But we want to be there for you now.”
The melding of Luke’s professional life with his home life felt strange, but the support of his friends was touching. “I appreciate it. Thanks.”
“So anyway, we’ll get there as soon as we can.”
“All right. See you when you get here. And thanks again.”
“No problem, man. Bye.”
“Bye.” Luke disconnected the call and glanced up at Mr. Collins. “The guys are coming to the funeral.”
“That’s real nice of them. You’ve made some good friends there I see.”
“Yeah, I have. That tends to happen when you spend as much time traveling together as we do, I guess.”
“You’ll be anxious to get back on the road, I suppose.”
Luke frowned. “I hadn’t thought too much about it. Everything has been happening so quickly around here.”
Mr. Collins opened his mouth and looked as if he was about to say more when Luke’s mother rushed into the room.
“Oh, you brought the coffee maker. Thank you so much. I better set this up and get it ready now, so when we get back here later we only have to plug it in.” She hoisted it into the sink before Luke had time to take it from her. She took the top off and began filling it with water, then glanced over her shoulder. “Then I suppose we need to leave.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Again, Luke marveled at his mother’s efficiency in the face of adversity when he couldn’t bring himself to think past today. Then he noticed her hands trembling as she began measuring coffee grinds into the filter basket. She wasn’t as put together as
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