Page 134 of Truck Hard

“Then we’ll make it happen.” I promise him, squeezing his shoulder.

Hannah catches my eye over Cam’s head, her smile soft and knowing. We’ve had this conversation before—about giving Cam every opportunity, about making sure he knows he’s supported in whatever he wants to pursue. It’s important to both of us that he never feels the way I did growing up, with a father who wasphysically present but emotionally absent, or the way Hannah did with Charlie, controlled and stifled.

“Cameron!” A voice calls, and we turn to see Tanner approaching, his clipboard tucked under one arm. “Great game today, kid. That curveball’s really coming along.”

“Thanks, Coach!” Cam beams, straightening his shoulders under the praise.

Tanner nods at Hannah and then turns to me, extending his hand. “Liam.”

I take it, still marveling at how strange it feels to be on civil terms with a Koch after so many years of animosity between our families. “Tanner. Good game.”

“Your son’s got a natural arm,” he says, and there’s genuine respect in his tone. “With some more training, he could be something special.”

“I’ve been working with him at home,” I say, unable to keep the pride from my voice. “But his curveball? That’s all you. Thanks for taking the time with him.”

Tanner shrugs, but I catch the slight smile that tugs at his mouth. “The kid’s got talent. Be a shame to waste it.”

After a few more minutes of baseball talk, Tanner heads off to gather the rest of the team. Cam bounces on his toes, practically vibrating with leftover adrenaline.

“Can we get ice cream to celebrate?” he asks, looking hopeful between Hannah and me. “Frank’s has that new caramel brownie flavor.”

“Of course we can,” Hannah says, exchanging a look with me that makes my heart skip. “You earned it, MVP.”

As we walk toward the parking lot, my family falls into step around us—Grams moving slower but refusing any help, my brothers trading jokes, Christian and Amelia trailing behind with their baby. The weight of Hannah’s hand in mine anchors me in a way I never thought possible.

Six months ago, I was drowning in regrets. Now I’m watching my son play baseball, building a home with the woman I’ve always loved, surrounded by the chaos and love of my family. I still don’t know how I got so lucky. But as Hannah leans her head against my shoulder, her smile soft in the fading afternoon light, I make a silent promise to never take any of it for granted.

Not bad for a guy who nearly let it all slip away.

The smellof sizzling beef and hotdogs fills the air as I lean against the wooden post that normally holds the “Street Closed” sign for the Oktoberfest. Today it serves a different purpose—marking the boundary of our impromptu victory celebration. My eyes scan the crowd spread across the blocked-off section of the street between Frank’s Frosty Kreme and A Cut Above. The whole damn town seems to be here, laughing, eating, and celebrating our summer league’s unexpected winning streak.

It’s moments like these that make me forget the weight I carry as the oldest Mutter brother—the responsibility, the constant worry, the need to keep everything together. For just a few hours, I can breathe easier and simply enjoy watching my family be happy.

“Here.” Hannah appears at my side, pushing an ice-cold beer into my hand, condensation already forming on the bottle. “You look like you could use this.”

I take the beer, but I’m more interested in the woman offering it. The afternoon sun catches in her hair, giving it an almost golden glow that makes my breath catch. Even after all these months together, she still has that effect on me.

“Thanks, sweetheart.” I slip my free arm around her waist, pulling her close to press a kiss to her temple. She fits perfectly against my side, like she was made to be there. “Having fun?”

She smiles up at me, and I swear my heart skips a beat. “More than I’ve had in years.”

I know what those words mean—the weight behind them. For thirteen years, Charlie stole her joy, her freedom, her sense of safety. The thought still makes anger bubble up inside me, but I push it down. Charlie’s gone—still in prison and likely to stay there for a good long while. Hannah and Cam are safe. They’re mine to protect now, mine to love, mine to build a future with.

“Dad! Dad! Watch this!” Cam’s voice pulls me from my thoughts. I look up to see him balanced precariously on Mac’s shoulders, with Ash spotting them from behind. Before I can even process what they’re planning, Mac launches Cam into the air. He somersaults impressively before landing in Ash’s waiting arms.

“Jesus Christ,” I mutter, my heart suddenly in my throat.

Hannah laughs beside me. “Relax. They’ve been practicing that all week at the swimming hole.”

“And you knew about this?” I ask, giving her a mock-offended look.

“Maybe.” She shrugs innocently, but her eyes sparkle with mischief. “You can’t protect everyone all the time, Liam. Sometimes you have to let them have a little fun.”

There’s wisdom in her words that hits deeper than she probably intends. I’ve spent my entire life trying to protect everyone—my brothers after Mom died, the family business when Dad couldn’t handle it, Hannah and Cam when Charlie hurt them. Maybe it is time I learned to loosen my grip a little.

“Don’t look now,” Hannah murmurs, nodding subtly across the street, “but I think hell might have frozen over.”

I follow her gaze and nearly choke on my beer. Linden and Tanner Koch—the same men who spent years making the Mutter family’s life difficult, the family we feuded with for generations—are cooing and making faces at little Chrissy, Christian and Amelia’s four-month-old daughter. Tanner is holding her up in the air while she giggles, her little legs kicking with excitement.

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