Coming Home to the Mountain: Complete Edition

1. Graham

CHAPTER 1

Graham

I n the Rough family, Sunday dinner is mandatory.

Unless you got a damn good reason, like worldwide travel or a debilitating illness, Mom and Dad expect you to show up for the family.

It’s a bit old-fashioned, but we’re into it. They want us to keep that strong family magic alive even as all of us kids age into adulthood.

Mom and Dad have been happily married for over thirty years, and the old man has taken well to being the family patriarch. The family construction business has certainly let him retain his prominence, a lot of my brothers working under him. Mom is right by his side, ever smiling and working her ass off to make these family dinners happen.

And this isn’t just some small get together with two-point-five kids, either. No, Mom and Dad were fruitful and multiplied, so this Sunday dinner table is in fact incredibly long.

Seven kids. And a lot of them have married, but the slew of grandchildren hasn’t really begun just yet. Dad’s lucky he knows enough carpentry to keep extending the family table, because it’s getting a bit ridiculous with how big it is now.

“The Olstein project is a major headache,” Rye says, sipping his beer.

“They’re very exacting,” Dad replies, “But with what they’re paying us, I can’t say I’m going to give them anything less than what they want.”

“I know, I know, but still, I never heard of anyone with such strong opinions on non-standard hallway dimensions.”

“I thought you weren’t going to talk business at the table, Rye,” Prairie, his wife, chimes in.

“Sorry, habit.”

“The family business is still about family,” Dad retorts.

“Red, there’s plenty to talk about that isn’t the business,” my mom adds. “There’s always the Seahawks game if you’re looking for something.”

Rye is the eldest child, and set to be the heir to the Rough and Ready construction business. He’s taken hard after Dad, more than any of the rest of us. He’s still had plenty of adventures away from the business, and one of those adventures nabbed him Prairie, his lovely wife who Rye loves with every bit of his heart.

“They’re trying to get me to start a betting pool at the store over whether they’ll win the championship this year,” Bartlett says. “Seems like a bit much. I’m running a hardware store, not a gambling outfit.”

“Guess you’ll just have to drop the hammer on them. Literally, if that’s what it takes,” Abby says, elbowing him in the side. “I’ve seen the size of the sledgehammers you’ve been stocking.”

Bartlett grins. “I think all our construction-minded people will tell you that it’s not the size of the hammer, it’s how you use it to get the job done, babe.”

“Or they could just be you, and have a giant hammer that more than gets the job done and done well too.” She grins, beaming, causing Bartlett a bit of embarrassment given he’s in front of his parents.

Bartlett, the second oldest son, went down a slightly different path than Rye, but still in a way that supports the family business. He runs a successful hardware store in Home, and always makes sure that Dad and our brothers still working with him have top-of-the-line equipment at the best prices. His girl, Abby, has a bit of a quick wit and sharp tongue, playing into her roots as a performer.

Our sister Lemon rubs her temple. “You know there are kids in earshot, right? Can we keep the entendres single for now?”

“Isn’t the point to keep it stealth and under wraps though, lovely?” Anchor says, looking at his wife with a longing intensity. He’s there in a full business suit, right off some early morning business meeting. He's a goddamned billionaire, and he feels a bit out of place among us Roughs. I mean, we’re all doing well enough, but finance moguls we ain’t.

“I just want to spare Meadow explaining to Plum what kind of hammers Abby is talking about.”

Lemon’s always been a bit dour and strict, but Anchor’s helped her crack out of her shell. The apple, well, Lemon in this case, never fell far from the tree though. Before Anchor plucked her from the branches, Lemon worked hard with the family business. Now? She’s still not far from the rest of us. Bartlett could supply your construction project, Rye could build it, and Lemon could decorate it.

“What about hammers, Mommy?” Plum, in her wide-eyed five-year-old curiosity, asks.

“Nothing, nothing,” Meadow chimes in, nervously smiling. “Aunt Abby just has the strangest ideas of what hammers are used for is all.”

“Why are we talking about hammers?” Reuben chimes in. “They’re used for beating things down. Nothing more. Don’t pay your silly aunt too much attention, Plum.”

“Hmmph,” Abby crosses her arms.

Reuben’s had a hell of a ride. Loved, lost, and loved again, all while remaining dedicated to his daughter with all his heart. He’s involved with the family’s construction business too. It’s a good gig. There’s not a lot of reason to step away unless you want to do something else with your life.

“It’s a sex joke,” Mac, my younger brother, says, eyes shifting and smiling.

“What do saxophones have to do with hammers?” Plum snaps back at her uncle, who doesn’t look remotely like an uncle, and more just an older brother at this point.

The youngest boy, Mac’s always had that underdog thing going for him. Grew up with a lot of brothers giving him shit, and I’m not going to pretend I’m innocent in that regard. He’s still finding his way in life, and he’s made a whole lot of mistakes recently. Honestly, we all have in our lives, I just hope Mac calms down before he gets himself hurt.

There’s also Fig, the youngest of our litter. She isn’t at Sunday dinner today, and hasn’t been for a while. As scary as a word like mandatory is, one of the things that my family wholly respects is higher education. Fig is at school for fashion design. It’s her passion, and my parents have been behind her all the way.

“Don’t cause issues, Mac, this is a family thing,” I say, my voice level.

He snarls. “Trying to police the table, I see. Can’t stop being a cop for one moment.”

Remember when I mentioned there’s no reason to leave the family construction business unless you want to do something else with your life? I wanted to do something else with my life. I wanted to help people. Try to make a difference. I know police have gotten a bad rap recently, but I figured we need more good people taking up the mantle, and I want to try to be the change I believe in.

“Mac, I ain’t policing nothing. Just don’t be trying to expose your niece to something before her parents think she’s ready for it.”

Mac grunts. He’s got his own problems and demons. Lord knows I want to help him, but sometimes there’s just stuff a man has to deal with by himself, no matter how much others want to help him.

“I’m not concerned about Graham being an officer of the law,” my mom says, a sly smile on her face. “I’m concerned that he’s still single.”

“Mom, really?”

Rye laughs. “She’s got a point. Children one through four have all gotten hitched, Graham. That means it’s your turn, little brother.”

I sip my beer, shaking my head. “Don’t get your hopes up. I’m a cop in a small town. I literally know everyone’s business, even the business they don’t want me to know.”

For instance, I know exactly what the Wilkersons are up to in their garage, but as long as it doesn’t cause any issues for anyone else? I’ll overlook that it’s technically illegal.

“Don’t have your eyes on some charming local girl?” Bartlett says. “One you follow home every night to make sure she gets there safe and sound?”

“Nope. I don’t think Home’s shady enough for me to be shadowing some girl like we’re in a cheesy noir story, Bart.”

“Just saying. Women like a man in uniform. You should be beating them off with a stick.”

“I wish, but no. As much as I want to magically stumble upon some girl, I’m not as lucky as some of you.”

I don’t think I’ll ever find love in Home. The town’s too small, and most of our traffic is local. I’m either related to or not remotely attracted to every single girl in town. Even the married ones for that matter, not that I’d ever be a homewrecker.

Maybe if I left town, but I’m happy in Home. I want my career to stay Andy Griffith instead of it turning into The Wire .

“Oh, things will sneak up on you, and they’ll do it fast, son,” Dad says, taking Mom’s hand. He can’t be talking about her. They knew one another for years before starting to date. I guess he’s just trying to make me feel better about my chances.

My phone vibrates. As rude as it is to check it during dinner, my family understands. The Home Police Department isn’t very big, so no one’s ever completely off duty. Sometimes they need more hands on deck and there’s nothing you can do about it.

My eyes go wide as I check the message that just came in. “There’s been a massive mudslide. Half of Hobson may have just been wiped out.”

I stand up.

“Hobson?” Lemon echoes, confused.

“It’s a tiny place, about four towns over. They need help for the search and rescue now and are calling on everyone in this county and the next.” I stand up. “Sorry, I have to answer this call.”

My father nods. “It’s what you signed up to do, son. Go and do it. Don’t hesitate to let us know if they’re accepting civilian volunteers.”

“I will.” I slide my phone into my pocket and head toward my room. I have a place of my own, but Mom has always kept my room here untouched. Boots, jeans, and a jacket, it’s the best I can do in short notice. I can only hope to be further equipped by the professionals when I get to Hobson.

My heart pounds as worry for all those people wraps around me.

I steel myself to see the worst come to pass.