Page 135 of Truck Hard

“Well I’ll be damned,” I say, unable to keep the surprise from my voice. “Who knew all it would take was a drooling baby to end the Mutter-Koch feud?”

“It’s not just any baby.” Hannah points out. “It’s Amelia’s baby. Their niece.”

When Amelia Koch fell in love with my brother Christian it forced both families to reconsider their positions. The relationship had been tense at first, with the older Koch brothers refusing to accept it. But in a crazy turn of events, Christian saved Amelia from a near kidnapping.

Then little Chrissy’s arrival changed everything. Nothing melts stubborn male pride quite like a tiny girl with her mother’s eyes and her father’s crooked smile.

“I never thought I’d see the day.” I admit, watching as Linden takes his turn holding Chrissy, his normally stern face transformed by a gentle smile. “Remember when he tried to get the zoning board to shut down our garage?”

Hannah leans her head against my shoulder. “People change. Sometimes they just need the right reason.”

I look down at her, suddenly struck by how much we’ve all changed in the past year. Hannah is stronger now, more confident. Cam is thriving on the baseball field. My brothers are settling down one by one, finding love and purpose. And me? I’ve finally learned that some burdens are meant to be shared, not carried alone.

“Heads up!” Someone shouts, and I instinctively pull Hannah closer as a frisbee sails over our heads, narrowly missing us. Mac chases after it.

“Sorry!” Mac calls back, not looking sorry at all as he tosses the frisbee to Sophia, who catches it with a grace that makes him stare a little too long.

“Some things never change.” I chuckle, watching as Mac nearly trips over his own feet trying to impress Sophia. “He’s still the same kid who broke Mrs. Wilson’s window showing off his fastball.”

Hannah laughs, the sound warming me more than the summer sun. “He paid to replace it, though. That’s growth.”

“True.” I take a sip of my beer, letting my eyes wander over the celebration again.

Frank’s manning the grill with Grams supervising, both of them arguing good-naturedly about the proper way to cook a burger. Warren and Jason, one of Amelia’s brothers, are setting up an impromptu water balloon station for the kids, filling dozens of colorful balloons from a garden hose. Garret and Charlotte sit at one of the picnic tables with Rayne between them, the three of them looking every bit the perfect family as they share a massive ice cream sundae.

And then there’s Christian, standing protectively near Amelia as she chats with her brothers, his eyes constantly drifting back to his daughter in Tanner’s arms. He looks good—healthy, clear-eyed, solid. Sobriety suits him, as does fatherhood. The change in him over the past year has been nothing short of miraculous.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Hannah asks, bringing me back to the present.

I smile down at her. “Just thinking how lucky we all are. How much has changed.”

Before she can respond, Ash zooms past us, chasing Andrea who’s laughing and holding what appears to be his phone hostage. He catches her easily, spinning her around and planting a quick kiss on her lips before reclaiming his phone and dashing back to where Cam and some of the other kids from the baseball team are waiting.

I notice Clara standing near the ice cream counter, watching the exchange with a wistful expression that makes my heart ache for her. She’s been in love with Ash for as long as I can remember, but my brother remains oblivious, bouncing from one short relationship to another while his best friend pines silently from the sidelines. Though Ash has been with Andrea for a while now. He’s taking his relationship with her seriously.

“She should just tell him,” I mutter.

Hannah follows my gaze and sighs. “It’s not that simple. She’s afraid of losing his friendship if he doesn’t feel the same way.”

“Ash wouldn’t let that happen.”

“Maybe not intentionally, but things change when feelings are involved. Not everyone is as lucky as we were, getting a second chance.” Hannah squeezes my hand. “Give her time. Some stories take longer to unfold.”

I nod, hoping she’s right. Clara deserves happiness, and if I’m honest, so does Ash. He might be having fun with Andrea now, but I’ve never seen him look at her—or any of his girlfriends—the way I catch Clara looking at him.

“Want to grab some food before the vultures descend?” Hannah asks, gesturing toward the grill where Frank is starting to plate the first batch of burgers.

“Lead the way.” I allow her to tug me through the crowd, nodding and exchanging greetings with neighbors and friends as we pass.

This is my life now, I realize with a sudden surge of contentment. Not just the garage or taking care of my brothers, but this—Hannah’s hand in mine, Cam’s laughter ringing out across the street, the entire town coming together to celebrate something as simple as a summer league baseball winning streak. This sense of belonging, of community, of family that extends beyond blood.

We grab plates and load them up with burgers, fries, and all the fixings. Frank insists on giving us extra everything, winking at Hannah as he piles more fries onto her plate than any human could possibly eat.

We find an empty picnic table and eat our food in comfortable silence, watching the celebration unfold around us. Christian and Amelia have reclaimed Chrissy from her uncles and are sitting with her in the shade, Christian making silly faces that have the baby giggling. Garret and Charlotte are dancing to the music playing from someone’s portable speaker, Rayne sandwiched between them in an awkward but joyful family shuffle. Even Dad has emerged from his usual isolation, playing checkers with some of the older men from town under the awning of the salon.

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Hannah says softly. “Seeing everyone happy, together.”

“Yeah.” I agree, my eyes finding each of my brothers in turn. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted for them. For all of us.”

---