Page 40 of Sweet T

“I mean, you’re quiet like him.” Evan kept going. “Reflective. He was shorter than you. Five-nine. You’re what, six feet?”

“Yeah.”

“You have the same color hair. Your eyes are brown, though; Marlon’s were blue. And you don’t have a broken nose.”

“No. Definitely don’t have that.”

A brief silence followed, echoing Evan’s previous slip. Mercifully, he was saved by the sound of an approaching vehicle.

“That’s Daddy,” Tucker said.

A black Ford F150 rolled through the gate, parking next to Pedro’s truck. A smiling man emerged from it, and Evan could have sworn he saw the truck lift higher when he did.

So, this is Big Britches.

The man was immense, six-four at least, and he had a lumbering, yet confident, gait. As he moved toward them, he spoke. “Hey, there. You must be Evan. Nice to meet you. I’m Titus. Titus Shepherd.”

Evan stood, extending his hand. The man was enormous, but there was nothing remotely menacing about him. His hair was dark, mussed, but his brown eyes and smile were sweet, like Tucker’s. Evan’s nervousness waned once he felt the man’s warm hand encompassing his own.

“Hi, I’m Evan. Nice to meet you.”

“Sit. Don’t stand on my account. Hello, son.”

Titus bent over Tucker, kissing him on the top of the head.

“Hey, Daddy.”

“How’s business?”

“Same old, same old.”

Titus nodded. Tension between the two was obvious, and the sparseness of conversation was leading toward awkward again.

“Pedro said you had a run-in with a stranger on the road, Evan. I’d be happy to have Junior come out here for a statement. If you’re not looking to head into town for a while, that is.”

Evan was confused. He looked to Tucker for clarification.

“Junior is the sheriff,” Tucker said, then to his father. “Evan would rather let it go, Daddy. He’s been through enough.”

“The man stole your money, right? Don’t you want to get it back?”

“Sure,” Evan said. “But I don’t see it happening. He’s long gone by now. I don’t even know the make or model of the SUV. I barely remember any of it.”

“Understood. From the looks of you, he had the upper hand.”

Tucker interrupted. “Evan just wants to forget about it for now. Maybe he’ll change his mind after he’s healed a bit. For the time being, I think we should respect his wishes.”

Titus nodded. He sat in a chair opposite them. “Certainly. Just let me know when. I’d be happy to speak with Junior. He’s a good guy. He’ll do what he can.”

“Thank you.” Evan gave Titus a small smile. “And thanks for putting me up.”

“Think nothing of it.”

“I’m going to pay all of you back. Tucker’s gonna let me work at the tavern.”

“That so?” Titus looked at Tucker.

“Yes, sir,” Tucker said. “At least until he gets his feet back on the ground.”

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