Page 73 of Forever Finds Us
“Nope. And don’t call me that. Name’s Nesty, you know, like Postie? This is a first for me, but since we’re here and we’re both attractive adults, you wanna pass me your digits? I’ve got twenty-three days sober this time, and my uncle’s holdin’ a job for me up in Alaska on his fishin’ boat. Pays good money. I could take you out.”
“Thanks, Nesty,” she said. “I’m flattered you asked, but”—she took hold of my hand and squeezed, and when I looked at her, she flared her eyes and nodded suggestively toward Ernesto—“I think my man here might have somethin’ to say about it.”
“Your man?” he said, looking me up and down in barely muted disappointment. “Pft. This dude seems like a stuffy suit. Dixon was cooler.”
Catching on, I said, “Dixon is definitely cooler than me. You guys are friends?”
Ernesto nodded and puffed out his small chest. “The best.”
“Well then maybe you can help us. I’m tryin’ to contact my brother. Our mama’s sick. Dixon needs to know.”
“You the oldest brother or the other one?”
“The other one.” I held my hand out. It took a minute, but he finally reached for it and shook it. “Brand Lee.”
“You’re the rich brother.”
“I wouldn’t say?—”
“Yeah,” he said, “but you got money. If I tell you what I know, would you do somethin’ for me?”
“Yes,” I said, as Roxanne squeezed again and said, “Depends on what it is.”
But Ernesto was done flirting with her. Now that he knew who I was, all his attention stayed fixed on me.
“I got a kid too,” he said. “Two kids actually. I haven’t seen ’em in a couple years. They live with their mom’s parents. You know how that goes.” He rolled his eyes.
“Uh, yes, I can imagine that’s hard for you.”
“Yeah, well, I deserve it, but they don’t. And my ex says they’re strugglin’. Her dad took a job at Home Depot on the weekends to help out, but they’re older. They’re on social security, and you know that ain’t shit these days.”
“If I sent them some help…” I hinted.
“Then I’d probably feel real friendly towards you. I’d be grateful and all that bullshit.”
“Consider it done,” I said, fully planning to keep my word, if he kept his and told me where my brother was. Probably even if he didn’t.
“There’s an old logging company. They ain’t in business no more, but that’s not my point. If you look on a map and find McCaffrey Logging out by Mad River, follow the road it’s on with your finger. Go north. And about an inch further up the map, you’ll find a house and an old couple. The Coulters. They’re hippies if you ask me, but they’re good folks. You’ll find your brother there. They take in junkies in recovery and give ’em a place to sleep and work till they’re ready to face the world again.”
“Thank you.” Surprising myself and Ernesto, I reached out and hugged him. “Thank you so much. You have no idea how badly I need to find Dixon.”
“Yeah, well, just don’t tell him I outed him,” he said awkwardly as I stepped away. “He won’t be happy with me for that. Better to tell him Buckley gave up the goods.”
“We won’t say a word,” Roxanne assured him.
“Your kids,” I reminded him. “Where do they live? What are their names?” I pulled my phone from my pocket and typed in a new contact entry.
“Their grandparents are Opal and Marcos Martinez. They live down near Sacramento. My kids are Gabe and Eden. They deserve better than the shit me and their mom gave ’em. A little donation from you could go a long way, but don’t tell ’em I had anything to do with it.”
“Mad River? Is it a river or a town?” Roxanne asked as she scissored her fingers over her cell phone’s screen and zoomed in on northwestern California. “It sounds like somethin’ out of a thriller movie. I really hope it’s not a cult or some kind of serial-killer camp.”
Despite the urgency I felt to get on the road, I snorted.
“What?” she said with an adorable smile.
“I doubt it’s either of those things.” Pulling up a search for Mad River on my phone, I said, “Look. It’s both. There’s a river that runs through a tiny place called Mad River. From the pictures, it doesn’t look sinister. Just looks remote.”
Roxanne rested her head on my shoulder and glanced at the screen. “It looks like the perfect place to go to grieve and come to terms with sobriety. I hope that’s what Dixon found there anyway. He’s been through a lot.”
