“What’s going on?” Mitch’s eyebrows furrowed, making him look even more serious. “Is there a problem with Liz?”
“No, there’s no problem. I don’t know how to explain it. Some of your family has looked at us and decided it’s a done deal. There’s even been talk of kids. But it’s not like Liz and I have been together since your wedding. She went back to New Mexico and we had no contact at all until she moved back to town.”
“So what are you trying to say?”
“Just that it’s new. And, like any relationship, we’re getting to know each other and figure out if we have a future and...we’re not at the point you all seem to think we are. And that worries me because what if we don’t get there?”
Mitch shrugged. “Right now you’re in a goldfish bowl. Not only is her entire family here, but she’s single while everybody else is doing the love and kids thing. That puts a big spotlight on your relationship. Once you guys are home, you’ll only have half the family, so it’ll only be half as bad.”
Drew laughed. “It’s not bad, really. I’m just afraid if we start getting to spend time together and realize we’re not meant to be, I’m the asshole.”
“And that would be different how?” When Drew looked sideways at him, Mitch laughed. A real laugh. “Sorry. My concern is that I know where you are in life. Mal did a number on you and now I get the impression you feel like you’re running behind. You want a wife and kids, like, yesterday. I don’t know quite where Liz is, but I don’t think she’s there.”
“I don’t think so, either,” Drew agreed quietly. “And no, not yesterday, but kids aren’t a someday, maybe thing for me anymore, either.”
“None of us liked Darren. You know that. Maybe most of it was the fact he talked her into moving to New Mexico, but part of it was how his needs were what mattered in their relationship. Liz is putting herself first now and none of us want that to change.” Mitch stole his water again. “If she decides she wants to explore her options and doesn’t see having kids for another five years, what are you gonna do?”
“I don’t know.” He wished he could give Mitch some reassuring speech on how Liz was more important to him than anything, even his desire to have children, but he’d be full of shit.
His marriage to the woman he’d loved since high school hadn’t survived his need to be a dad. Granted, that had the double whammy of her lying about having kids someday for their entire relationship, but if she’d changed her mind and told him she’d have a baby, he might have stayed. If Liz didn’t want to have kids anytime soon, it would be a big deal.
“Talk about it before you get in too much deeper,” Mitch said. “Your dad and our Rosie are together now, which means a whole lot of family time in your future. The less painful things end between you, if they do, the better it is for everybody.”
“Hey, Doctor Phil, you gonna ride or what?” Ryan said. “Tire’s good to go. Maybe.”
Mitch handed Drew his water back. “For what it’s worth, it’s still weird, but I hope it doesn’t go south.”
“Thanks.” After stowing what remained of his water and the uneaten candy bar back in the box, Drew grabbed his gear.
“I don’t know what he hit, but he wiped out half my plugs,” Joe said as he put his tools away. “I think it’ll hold until we get back, but that tire’s shot.”
“It’ll be fine,” Kevin said.
“Maybe we should put you in the back.”
Kevin buckled his helmet. “I could have four flat tires and you still couldn’t keep up with me.”
By the time Drew got his gear on, enough trash talk had been exchanged between Kevin and Joe that he knew it was going to be a wild ride back and plugged tire be damned.
He double-checked his helmet strap and adjusted his gloves before firing his engine. Then, one by one, they pulled back onto the trail in a spray of dust and gravel. Drew hit the throttle and prayed he didn’t die.
*
Liz had mixed feelings about going home. On the one hand, it was time to get back to the new life she’d put on pause to be here. On the other, the time with her family had been amazing and part of her wished they could stay just a little longer.
“They’re pathetic today,” Keri said from her station, which was frying more bacon than Liz had ever seen in her life. And she’d worked in truck stops. “They’re all sore and trying like hell not to show it.”
“They’re not hiding it well,” Paige said. She was beating a huge bowl of scrambled eggs, which would be the first of several batches.
Liz rolled her eyes. “Drew told me he’s never ridden that fast through the woods in his life. And Kevin knows these trails really well, so I guess he was moving right along.”
“Don’t tell anybody,” Keri said, “but Joe asked me to tie his sneakers this morning.”