A WEEK LATER I’m down at Maxwelton beach with the goats. At ten in the morning, the air smells of sunscreen, grilled hot dogs, and patriotism. We have a float in the annual Fourth of July parade. A couple of the goats will walk on their leashes beside the flatbed while the rest act adorable on bales of hay stacked on the borrowed flatbed. I’ve hired a few 4H kids to handle the walking goats. They seem more than capable. As long as the goats don’t get loose and eat an American flag, we’re golden.
Cute goats, cute kids, patriotic flags—we’re nailing this holiday.
At the start of the route, a few dogs bark when they see the herd, but there’s no inter-species fighting. The organizers shuffle our order and put a couple of vintage cars in between the goats and the dogs to maintain peace. Among the parade staff, I spot Sally and Connie wearing matching red, white, and blue striped outfits with stars bouncing on springs above their coordinating hats.
I duck around the back of the truck to avoid their radar. Pretending to check the trailer hitch, I crouch down in the shadow, hopeful I’m hidden out of the way.
My calves start to cramp from crouching for so long. I pop back up and glance around to make sure I’m safe from the nosiest women on the island. Walking around the trailer, I study the crowd flanking both sides of the road for further threats.
The Maxwelton Fourth of July parade is about as Americana and summer as you can get. Everything is chock-full of nostalgia, from the old-timey cars and hot rods, to the Dalmatian on the firetruck. Kids ride bikes with streamers flying off the handlebars and cards noisily flipping in the spokes. Multiple generations of families sit in chairs or hang out on their lawns, talking and laughing. The anticipation in the air is as palpable as the whir of a firework right before it bursts into all its glory.
Thankfully, a breeze off the water softens the glare of the strong sun. I wipe a line of sweat off my brow and push my hands through my hair. Remembering I have a baseball cap in the cab, I open the driver side door and stretch across the seat to grab it.
“Oh, look. It’s one of the Kelso boys,” a female voice coos very close to where the lower half of my body hangs out of the cab.
Gathering my friendly face, I screw on my hat, arching the brim slightly. With my sunglasses and the cap, I feel more protected.
“Happy Fourth, ladies.” I slide down to my feet and face them.
Sandy, the third of the three witches of Whidbey, gives me a glossy red smile. She’s sporting a tiny American flag tattoo on one cheek and a hand-painted star on the other.
“Oh, Carter. I wasn’t sure if it was you or your brother,” she purrs.
Inside my head I call bullshit. I know she has one of Erik’s Naked Whidbey calendars and probably studies it nightly. I involuntarily shudder at what else she does.
Recovering, I play innocent. “Easy to do. He’s around here somewhere with Cari. They’ll be on the float.” It would be nice if they showed up now and saved me from awkward conversation with a woman older than my mother who’s seen my naked ass. Then again, around here, who hasn’t seen it? I wonder if Ashley has a calendar and if it’s flipped to June, aka me on a riding mower in all my naked glory.
“I just love what you’re doing with these adorable goats. We need to get you in the paper. Are you signed up for Choochokum? You should. And some of the farmers’ markets! I can give you a whole list. There’s always Coupeville, too. Are you working up there? Have you thought about coordinating with Greenbank Farm?”
She rambles on with more marketing ideas. Her voice fades into a blah, blah, blah . . . blah. I’m sure she has great ideas, given she knows every damn thing that happens on this end of the island, but my focus is on the coffee truck parked near the ballfield.
Jonah’s tattooed arm hands coffee down to a group of well-dressed summer people. How can I tell they’re summer people and not locals? For one, I don’t recognize them. Plus, they’re too beautiful and polished to be locals. I bet they have those family portraits where they’re on the beach, all wearing coordinating outfits and their golden retriever’s bandana is the same color.
A flash of red hair behind Jonah catches my attention.
“Excuse me, Sally,” I tell Sandy.
She continues talking as I weave through the crowd. Keeping my eyes on the truck, I bump into a few shoulders and get knocked in the knees by some mini humans. Halfway to my goal, a large iced coffee is shoved in my field of vision.
“Here, I saved you the trip.”
Erik holds the coffee, along with his own. Next to him, Cari carries a tray with four more iced drinks. Her dark hair is streaked with what she calls “mermaid” colors and woven into two braids. She’s a fairy missing her wings in a colorful sundress.
“Hey, you didn’t have to do that.”
“I know, but I was over there dropping off more ice. Plus, I know you get all weird around Ashley, so I did you both a favor.” Erik’s wearing a Whidbey Joe T-shirt and boring gray shorts.
“The hell?” I take my coffee from him.
“You do.” Cari adds her unsolicited two cents. “Normally it’s kind of fun to watch, but we have a parade to march in. You can mope around Ashley later.”
“Convince her to do the egg toss with you. Or the three-legged race. If you can keep your pants up.” His smirk is knowing and teasing.
“A three-legged, pantsless race sounds like something else.” Cari’s bright eyes scan down Erik’s shorts and legs.
“You’re thinking of a tripod.”
Good lord. If the two of them are talking in code about the size of Erik’s dick, I’m just . . . no. Stop. He was naked the second time they met. The whole world has seen my brother’s bare ass, but no one needs to be reminded.
“Family event, you horny ruminants,” I jeer at the happy couple.
“Fancy word, goat man.” Cari lifts her coffee in a toast.
I return the gesture. “Parade’s about to begin. If you’re riding on the float, let’s go.”
Over the past year, Erik’s started a foundation with Cari’s help. He uses his notoriety for fundraising. Not sure how appropriate a Naked Whidbey banner would be at the Fourth of July family event, so we’re just having him sit with the goats on the float. Fully clothed. Like Roslyn says, there’s no such thing as bad press if people are talking about your brand.
The high school band plays the first notes of “Stars and Stripes Forever” to officially begin the parade. I look around for Dad, who’s supposed to drive the truck. Ahead of us, groups slowly move forward at the standard parade crawl.
“Seen Dad?” I ask Erik as I help Cari up to the flat bed. We have three goats tethered to stakes on short chains so they don’t take flying leaps into the crowd.
“I thought he was with you?” Erik looks over my shoulder.
“Haven’t seen him at all this morning.” Disappointment and resentment stew in my belly. “Typical.”
Sandy’s back with her official looking walkie-talkie held up to her mouth. “Get into position, Kelsos. We’re almost ready for you.”
Erik and I meet gazes.
“I’ll drive.” I move around Sandy and get in the cab. Starting up the engine, I curse under my breath a few times before rolling down the window. Ahead of me, people in animal costumes line up for the parade of species. Organized from tiny shrimp to the blue whale, they block a huge chunk of real estate. The people holding the whale costume above their heads bunch together, awaiting space to unfurl the giant beast.
Makes sense they put our Got Your Goat float after the other animals.
The truck idles as we wait for our turn. I check the rearview mirror to see how Erik and Cari are doing. She’s feeding a handful of something to Edgar, while Willie and Griffey munch on the grain we scattered for them. Beside the truck, our 4H handlers pace with their goats. Mickey takes a dump next to the rear wheel. I guess better now than when kids are scrambling to pick up the candy thrown from other floats and marchers.
A quick series of knocks on the passenger door drags my focus to the right.
Dad, disheveled and sweaty, stands there, signaling for me to unlock the door. I roll down the window and flip the lock.
“You almost missed it.” I stare straight ahead as he climbs in.
“Did you know they close the road at Swede Hill?” He wipes the back of his hand across his forehead.
“Yeah, Dad.” I blast the AC even though we have the windows down. “They do that every year. For the parade.”
My tone is petulant and sullen. In my frustration, I’ve slipped back to being a teenager.
“Since when? We used to drive right down and park at the baseball field lot.”
“If you get here early enough, you can,” I grumble.
He shifts the vents to face him and turns the fan to high. “Woo, it’s damn hot. Had to walk down the hill in this heat.”
I don’t bother mentioning we agreed to meet an hour ago or that I’m driving when he promised he would. There’s no point as I shift into gear and follow the blue whale down the road.
Dad leans out the window, smiling and waving like the football hero and prom king he once was. I can picture him and Mom sitting on the back of a convertible making its way around the track at the high school. The perfect all-American couple.
Keeping my foot on the brake, I wave out my own window as we glide slowly past the onlookers.
A few women spot the goats, notice me in the truck, and I can tell the moment they decide I’m hot. Not to brag, but it’s probably a good thing I’m in the cab and not walking or on the float. Something about goats drives women crazy. The cuteness factor only works in my favor.
I wonder if it will work on Ashley. Maybe I need to be holding a baby goat next time I talk to her. See if the magic works on her.
My eyes cut to the coffee truck as we crawl to a stop near the baseball field. There’s a right turn into the parking lot at the end of the route and it seems we have a backup.
“I see Jonah and his sister over there.” Dad gives me a sharp look. “Not a care in the world.”
“Her name is Ashley. You know it. I don’t understand why you don’t use it.”
He grumbles to himself before tossing candy at a group of kids near the edge of the crowd. I swear he aims for their heads. “Of course I remember her name. I don’t understand why your brother had to go into business with the two of them out of everyone else around here.”
“They’re smart and good at their businesses, Dad. Jonah keeps Erik on his toes and Ashley helped out a lot with the public relations stuff last summer.”
“Makes sense. That girl is a walking scandal.” Smiling, he wiggles his fingers at a little boy on a tricycle. “Nothing but trouble. You know I warned Erik to watch his books with Jonah as his partner.”
“He told me. I don’t think he has anything to worry about.”
“Ha. I thought the same thing about my business. Look how that turned out. I swore Ron was my friend, too.” He keeps his voice low and the smile plastered on his face. “Glad you came to your senses and broke up with her when you did. Keep your distance.”
My fingers tighten on the steering wheel until my knuckles go pale. “Why’s that?”
I ask the question knowing I don’t want to hear the answer. When it comes to holding a grudge, my dad wears the crown.
“You would’ve given up your whole future for the little hussy. And for what? You’ve heard the same stories I have. She can’t keep her legs closed and can’t hold onto a man. You avoided a real nightmare with that one. What’s important is you moved on and try to do your best, even if you don’t forget.”
“You’re wrong.” I stare at him directly. “You couldn’t be more wrong.” What I really want to say is he couldn’t be more of an asshole. “You don’t know her.”
Before I can call him out, he slaps his hand on the dashboard. “Watch out!”
I slam the brake pedal. We’re only going three miles an hour, but I come to a complete stop. The truck and trailer shudder. I lean out the window and shout behind me, “Sorry about that. Everyone okay?”
Cari gives me a thumb’s up. Erik looks like he tipped over but has recovered enough to flip me off.
At least I didn’t run over the whale brigade. Done with the conversation with Dad, I remain silent as we continue to smile at the crowd.
Looking in from outside, we’re a happy, close-knit family.
Smile.
Wave.
Toss candy.
Pretend my own father didn’t just slut shame the only woman I’ve ever loved. I should stand up for her, defend her. Honestly, it would be a waste of oxygen to try to change his mind. The man’s opinions are set in cement. I’d only make it worse if he knew how bright the torch I carry for her burns. He’d give me a hard time daily. Moments like this I regret asking him to join my business. Every time I try to do right, be a good son, help him out, it backfires in my face. Someday I might learn to walk away and let him fight his own battles.
We reach the right turn into the lot and I find a spot for the truck and trailer. Without another word to Dad, I hop out and check on the rest of our crew.
Dad greets Erik and Cari with a big smile. I guess we’re both masters at pretending everything’s just dandy. I wonder how often Erik gets lectures about Jonah.
I pull out gallon jugs of water for the goats. We unhook the three tethered males on the float and Erik hands them down to me.
“Guess Dad showed up after all,” he says under his breath.
“Blowing in like a last-minute storm, as always.” I set a couple of bowls of water on the ground and fill them. “Wish he’d stay away.”
“Did you see Mom in the crowd? She was hollering and waving her arms like she was at an Eagles concert.”
“I missed her.”
He furrows his brow. “You didn’t hear her yell our names?”
“Must have been on the other side of the road.”
“Hey.” He touches my shoulder. “What happened?”
“Nothing. It’s hot and I need to take care of the goats.” I look up, expecting to see Dad chatting with Cari, but she’s standing with Jonah and Ashley by their truck.
“If you’re looking for Dad, he wandered over to the hot dog stand.”
“Typical. Shows up late, doesn’t help with the goats, and then disappears.”
“I can go get him.” His offer sounds as hollow as it is.
“No.” The word comes out short and angry.
“Sure you don’t want to vent?”
“Honestly, it’s nothing new. He started in about Jonah and Ashley again.”
Erik’s dark eyes flash up to me and then behind me to the group of our friends. “He’s had a bee in his bonnet about them again lately. I don’t get it.”
“Me neither. I wish he’d let it go.”
“Some things we grip so tight for so long we don’t know how to stop. Even if it’s an anchor, holding us back or dragging us down.” His eyes meet mine.
Lifting my cap, I use my other hand to brush my hair off my forehead. “Let’s get these guys settled and go get some food. I have to get revenge for the direct hit you made during the egg toss last year.”
“Purely a happy coincidence.” He grins at the memory. I can’t blame him. It looked like I got shot and was bleeding yellow yoke. “After the fun and games, we’re heading down to John and Diane’s for a cookout. You coming?”
My gaze wanders over to Ashley and Jonah. There’s no way she’d show up on Tom’s turf. Since she’s not giving me a single glance, there’s no point in hanging around here.
“I need to take the goats home.”
“You could let Dad handle that. Make up for being late this morning.”
“He’d probably forget about them.” I’m a sullen bastard and don’t give a fuck.
Erik studies me and nods once. “Come on, you need to eat. You’re cranky. Nothing a hot dog can’t fix.”
I let him drag me over to the food vendors. “Fine, but you’re buying.”
Dan and Roslyn stand with the rest of the gang near the back of the grandstand. Ashley sits at the end of a picnic bench, her long legs stretched out in front of her in a pair of blue shorts with white stars and a South Whidbey Falcons’ baseball style shirt. She’s gorgeous and all my high school fantasies about her wearing my jersey flood back. The shirt is faded with wear and time. For a moment, I wonder if she’s wearing one of my old ones.
Maybe the shirt’s a nod to the bird boy?
“Hey, Ashley.” I do the cool guy nod thing because I’m super chill. So much for ignoring her. My resolve lasted about ten minutes.
Her lips curve into a polite, half smile and she gives me a small wave of her fingers.
“Carter! Just the man I need to talk to.” Roslyn links her arm around my elbow. I glance at Dan to make sure he’s okay with her being all touchy feely with me. Not that I could ever steal her away from him. Please, I’m cocky but not delusional.
Before she can speak, Dan cuts her off.
“No goats. Plus, we leave in two weeks for Italy.” Dan runs a hand over his salt and pepper hair. “Speaking of, we need someone to cat sit.”
Roslyn nods at his words. “Ashley, any interest in house sitting for us? You can stay in the guest house. As you know, the cat can look after herself, but needs to be fed and watered. She enjoys the company if you have time to hang out.”
“Wow. You’re cool with me staying at the house? For a month?” Ashley’s soft voice is eager, but cautious.
“You’d be doing us a huge favor.” Roslyn touches her arm. “I know you’re busy with the coffee business, but if you have time to put out any client fires and manage their schedules, it would be a huge favor. I’d pay you, of course. It’s a win-win for me. Plus, it might throw off the creep whose been following you.”
They continue talking but I focus on the idea of Ashley being back on the island again. I can feel Ashley’s energy shift. She’s almost vibrating with happiness and it’s contagious. Roslyn is like a big sister to her. With their red hair and pale skin, the two could be sisters. In a blue and white striped short dress, Roslyn’s nod to the flag is subtle and elegant, kind of like her personality.
Ashley stands up to accept the invitation. “I’d love to. Yes, yes, yes.”
“Then it’s settled.” Dan smiles at me. “Carter can bring over some goats, too. The stinging nettles are out of control on the trail down to the beach. Damn nettles got my legs twice last week.”
“At least you were wearing shorts,” Jonah says, and all eyes turn to him. He draws a wide circle in the air around his crotch, alluding to a naked nettle attack. “You don’t want to know.”
“No, we don’t.” Ashley violently shakes her head. “Thanks for the visual.”
Dan gives me a wink and tilts his head in Ashley’s direction.
My lips part as my jaw drops. No way. He’s playing matchmaker. That makes no sense. I mean, I know I spilled my guts to him when we built the fire pit together, but guys don’t meddle in each other’s romantic lives. Hell no.
But Daniel Ashland is no ordinary man, that’s for sure.
If getting Ashley on the island for the summer is some sort of gift to me, I’m not going to give it back. No way. I might be an idiot, but I’m not a fool.
I nod and give him a genuine smile.