Page 12 of Big Britches

Roz took the bottled from him and sipped. “What about you, T? You got something you want to tell me too?”

Titus studied her face in the moonlight. There was no malice or jest, just a simple question seeking a simple answer. He held her gaze for what seemed an eternity, then looked down at the dirt and gravel beneath his swinging feet.

“If you are, it’s OK,” Roz added, glancing back at Barb. “Y’all are my best friends. I would never betray that.”

She took their hands in hers, squeezing gently, and they sat that way for a good while. Eventually, Titus broke the silence. “I’m not sure,” he said.

Roz nodded. “Fair enough.”

In retrospect, that felt like a loss, Titus thought, as he pushed off the side of the pool and began another lap.

Maybe if he’d been honest with himself and his two closest friends at that moment, he would be happy now. Instead, he’d suppressed his nature, lost it in the undertow of expectation, both familial and societal.

It wasn’t a total loss, though. A son was born, and he couldn’t imagine life without his sweet Tucker.

He’d done everything that was expected of him. If there was a punch list for the only child of a blue-blooded southern family, he’d completed it. He had been the high school football champion, married the town’s sweetheart, ensuring the torch would be passed down. He had followed in his father’s footsteps by starting a successful business, and, like his daddy, could probably be mayor one day should he choose.

He’d known love–the love of his family, friends, Violet, and Tucker.

But he was divided—always had been. He was a tormented beast, thwarted by the absence of what he craved more than any of the things he’d accomplished–the love of another man.

Outside, he’d tried to be a hero, but inside, he felt hollow. And instead of acting on the selfless, heartfelt blessing of his deceased wife over two years before, he’d remained a coward, using Tucker as an excuse. Now, his division had manifested into different forms–the ghost of his former self abroad, and the real deal, moldering in isolation.

Something’s got to change, he thought, reaching for the lip of the pool, unaware that he had swum ten additional laps to his usual thirty.

He stood at the shallow end, panting, and wiping the water from his face.

“I thought I was going to have to throw my shoe at you.”

He opened his eyes, and Roz was standing there. The sun was bright now, the haze gone, and the temperature rising. She had the large cordless phone in her hand, its extended antenna looking alien in their surroundings.

“What’s wrong?” Titus asked.

“There’s a man at the gate. Silas sent him. Says Carlos is gone indefinitely.”

“Is he OK? What happened?”

“Who knows? It is Silas Compton you’re dealing with.”

“Don’t remind me.”

“Should I buzz him in?”

“Uh, yeah… yes, please.” Titus was flustered. His morning routine had not only been interrupted by Roz’s giving notice, but now a stranger was here–a stranger that would require orientation to the grounds. “Tell him I’ll meet with him, I guess… to, uh, discuss things.”

Roz rolled her eyes, grinning at his befuddlement. She reached for his towel on the lounger and handed it to him.

“It’s not the end of the world, you know. He’s just here to cut the grass.”

She removed her palm from the receiver, pressed a couple of buttons, and turned, heading back to the house.

“OK.” Her voice faded as she went. “Sorry for the wait. When the driveway splits…”

Three

Pedro buzzed himself through the secondary gate at the end of the seemingly endless driveway, parking in front of the guest house as Roz had instructed. The property was enormous and lush. The back of the farmhouse was almost as ornate as the front, with a large screen porch and decorative peaks and gables, all white with black trim. Opposite it, the guest house was smaller and more modern, but painted to match. Nestled between the two and closer to the guest house was a pool.

Pedro got out of the truck and shut the stenciled door. As he was lowering the tailgate, he saw a man in his periphery coming toward him from the pool. The man was big.

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