2 Chapter 2

“Jimmy, you’ve always talked about living in your own place.”

Once I thought me and him would get together, and, you know, live happily ever after. But then he became a doctor of chemistry and natural medicine. I never finished high school.

“Yes, I know. You’re right. I’ve wanted to move out for a while now.” Jimmy sighed. “But this feels like her trying to push me out. I don’t like to be pushed.”

Well, that was the truth. He was as stubborn and ass-headed as they came.

The solution seemed pretty simple to me. He’s usually a straight line from A to B kinda guy. Jimmy’s real smart, and once he focuses, he’s like a bird dog on point. Not me. I get an idea for a design and like to run through all the side letters first before I connect A and B. Hazel calls it my artistic side.

I don’t know. All’s I know is Jimmy usually gets from “What needs to be done?” to “Let’s do it this way” without breaking a sweat.

“I don’t get the problem. You know what you want already.”

He laughed. “I don’t want to be pushed by my mother.”

I woulda sighed, but what was the point? He was Jimmy, and I’m Butch. We are what we are. I still didn’t get it, but he’d have to figure it out for himself.

“So the Apple Festival is coming up, and I’m making some changes,” I said, moving on to another subject.

“Yeah? What’s up? What’re you doing?”

I told him I’d already put an ad in the state blacksmith association newsletter for another smith and now was looking to hire somebody to run the shop, set up a better website, and run a kids’ do-it-yourself craft table at the upcoming festivals.

“I wanna make the shop more family friendly.”

He looked at me weird.

“I don’t get it, Butch. This isn’t like you.” He ran a hand through his shaggy hair. “You’re making me nervous. First my mother, now you. Why is everybody so hot to change suddenly?”

“It’s like you said.” I hunkered down, putting my elbows on the table and spreading out my hands. “I took a look at my life. I figure if I don’t do something to get settled, it ain’t gonna just fall in my lap. The Big Three Oh is the first step to the rest of my life. If I don’t get my shit together, nobody’s gonna hand my life to me. I may not know a lot, but I know it’s up to me to do it myself.” I shot him a frown. “And you know it, too.”

He nodded and looked like dog meat.

I may not have solved his problem of moving out or nothing, but maybe we was finally on the same page. Maybe.

I was making my changes. He had to decide on his own life. 2

The next day around midmorning, a guy who coulda been my blond twin walked into the forge, looked around, smiled, and lumbered up to me, holding out a ham-sized hand.

“Hey, you must be Butch. I’m Jax.”

I took his hand, and we had a short, friendly, grip-strength match. I won. Which was sure good since I figured he musta been looking for a job. He had that aiming-to-please swagger.

“I saw your ad.”

Bingo.

“Nice to meet ya, Jax.” I gestured toward my office. “How about we go in there to talk? I need to keep an eye on the door. In case of people.”

On a Tuesday after a dead weekend, the only walk-ins I get want to stroll around the shop touching stuff or gawk at me in my leather apron. If I was covered in sweat, they’d want a picture and shove their girlfriends or wives up next to me. They usually didn’t buy shit.

Jax nodded and followed me into the tiny office, where I pointed to a chair and offered him some coffee.

He sat and shook his head.

“No, thanks. I’m an iced tea man myself.”

I shrugged. Whatever.

We talked over his experience. The more he talked, the more I wanted to hire him.

With him here, I’d be able to have some time off. Time when I could get a life. Like maybe not a love life, but at least more of a sex life. Not that I told him any of why it’d be good to have him or somebody like him and a store manager around.

“Only other thing you need to know, Jax, is that some blowout holidays are about to happen the rest of this year. I’m changing stuff in the shop. I wanna come up with something kids can do. Like a craft while their parents look around. So if you got any ideas, I’m open.”

“What? You’re hiring me?”

“Maybe. Probably. First, I gotta see you make a couple a things. Why don’t you start with something small, like a metal cuff or some other piece of jewelry you think we could sell here in the shop?”

“Now?” He sounded surprised.