Last of the Summer Tomatoes (24 page)

“Okay, thanks.” Kyle got up, started to head up the stairs but stopped. He turned around to walk back into the kitchen, sidling up next to Glenda, then gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before he headed back up the stairs. Halfway up, something caught his eye. It was the colored pencil sketch he’d done of the farm, the one he gave to Sam. It was matted and framed, placed in the midst of all the paintings Walt’s brother, Doug, had completed. He swallowed. It was right in a place of honor, with his name and the date engraved on a brass plate along the bottom of the frame. He felt a tear form in his eye, so he hurried up the remaining steps to the respite of his room.

Kyle came back downstairs a couple hours later to see the table set with presents next to his chair. Now he felt very uncomfortable; the last real birthday gift he’d gotten was a couple years ago when Billy’s mother took him and Billy out for pizza. She had Billy give him a t-shirt of his favorite rock band. Now there were three gifts on the table, all for him. He quickly sat down, not looking at the brightly wrapped boxes.

“There’s the birthday boy!” Glenda put a plate of baked potatoes on the table.

Walt came in from the living room. “Happy Birthday, Kyle! Sorry to work you on your birthday, but weeds wait for no man.” Walt patted his shoulder before sitting down.

“Uh… thanks. I didn’t even remember what day it was.” Kyle craned his neck to look into the living room. “Sam coming?”

“He had to run an errand, said he’d be back for dinner.” Just as the words left Walt’s mouth, a vehicle could be heard coming up the drive. “And I’ll bet that’s him.” Walt got up to peer out the window. “Yep, boy drives just like his mother.”

Glenda walked by, giving Walt a swat on the butt. “And who taught us?”

“Wasn’t me.”

“Must’ve been some other Walt that I married.” Glenda pecked him on the cheek as she set the salad down.

Sam came rushing in the kitchen door, almost knocking Glenda down.

“Sorry, Mom.” He kissed her on the cheek. “I got stuck waiting for Mr. Carter to herd his sheep across the road. I don’t know how he deals with those animals; I swear they have to be the most stupid of God’s creatures.” He gave Kyle a quick kiss before setting a little box down next to his other gifts.

Walt sat back down. “Sheep aren’t very smart, that’s for sure. Takes more than a couple herding dogs to keep them in line. I’ll take my cows any day.”

Glenda pulled the steaks off the indoor grill, placing one on each plate. “Never have been a big fan of sheep. Now, eat while it’s hot.” Glenda sat down and passed the salad around.

Kyle filled his plate, trying to ignore the boxes to his right. He tried to enjoy his steak, but to know this family has made such a fuss over his birthday made him feel uneasy.

“Kyle, you want to go out this weekend for your birthday?”

Kyle looked up, taking a minute to realize Sam had asked him a question. “I… what?”

“Where’s your mind today?”

Kyle shrugged. “Never made a fuss over my birthday before.”

“Well, it’s about time you did. So, you wanna go out? Dinner and a movie?”

“Sure, sounds good.”

Glenda passed the rolls around. “I’ve heard there’s a new steakhouse that’s gotten rave reviews, that is, if you want steak again.”

“Steak is good.”

“We can decide later. I’d like to see the newest superhero movie. You up for that?”

Kyle perked up a little at that. “Yeah, it looks awesome.”

“I’ll never know what you boys see in those superhero movies. Too many explosions for my taste.” Glenda shook her head.

Walt set the salad dressing down in front of Glenda. “Come now, I can remember you enjoying the
Superman
movies when we were dating.”

“Walt, we could have seen a foreign film with no dialogue, and I would have loved it… because I was with you.” Glenda gave him a sly smile. “But I’ll admit, looking at Christopher Reeve wasn’t a hardship. That man was very handsome, God rest his soul.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Yep, that’s Mom’s criteria for a movie. How handsome the leading man is.”

Kyle laughed.

“Glad to see you’re amused. So, you done?” Kyle nodded. “Then open up your birthday gifts, birthday boy!”

“Sam, you’re worse than when you were a boy. I swear, you were more excited for others to open presents than to open your own.” Glenda picked up the plates.

“Presents are presents, regardless of who opens them. So open already!” Sam gestured to the boxes in front of Kyle. “Leave that little one from me for uh… later.”

Kyle felt his ears get hot, which meant he was blushing from head to toe. “Why?”

“It’s special… and nothing dirty. Get your mind out of the gutter.”

Kyle gave him a sidelong glance, then started with the largest box. It was a huge set of oil crayons.

“I didn’t know what you might need for school, thought these would be good. Good reviews on Amazon.” Glenda rubbed his shoulder as she walked behind him.

“Glenda knows how to shop. She researched everything.” Walt scooted his chair back, Glenda sitting down in his lap.

“They… they are great. Thanks.”

Sam pushed the next box toward him. “Okay, now this one.”

The next box contained a set of painter’s brushes, all different sizes.

“Guess you’ve figured out the theme here. Your passion makes you easy to shop for. You wouldn’t believe the deals they had, especially for back to school.” Glenda stroked Walt’s arm that was around her waist.

Kyle knew by the brand on the brushes that they were top of the line. “But… you already gave me the leather jacket. I… this is too much.”

“Nah. The jacket was a practical gift. This is stuff you can use to make me a Kyle Jackowski original. We still have wall space to fill, you know.”

Kyle remembered his picture on the wall. He looked down, not able to deal with the obvious love that was coming from this family.

Sam scooted closer to him. “Hey, no more of that. Let Mom spoil you, it’s what she does best. One last prezzie from the parents.” Sam pushed the box over to Kyle.

The last present was an assortment of sketchpads; two small notebook-sized ones, a medium-sized one, and a large one that was eleven by seventeen and made of premium paper.

“I figured you could keep the smaller ones with you at most times, jot down little things that interest you. Now I want my original on the large one. Or even better, paint me a canvas.” Glenda gave him a big smile.

“I’ll… I’ll try.”

Walt patted Glenda’s butt. “Okay, hun, let’s head for the TV. I’d like some time with my best girl.” The two left Sam and Kyle in the kitchen alone.

“Okay, open the last one.”

“Sam, you didn’t have to get me anything. You should be saving your money for college.”

“Dad pays me for helping on the farm, you know, the stuff above and beyond the usual. Figured it would have cost him a few hundred to have someone else build the greenhouse and new shed, so no worries, okay? Open it.”

Kyle opened the velvet box, knowing that jewelry normally comes in such a box. He wasn’t a big jewelry person, not after the fiasco with the nipple ring last year. He took in a sharp breath when he saw the contents: a silver heart, broken in two, each half on a chain.

“Look, I know it’s corny, and we said we wouldn’t make promises, but… it’s something to remember us by, even if it’s just for the memories, right? I know… I know I’m your first, I don’t know, love I guess, so this can just be a memento of that.”

Kyle couldn’t say anything. He just stared at the broken heart.

“I’m sorry… it was an impulse buy. I can take it back. Would you like a nipple ring? Since Hank won’t be around, you could get your other—”

Sam’s words were cut off by a huge kiss. Once Kyle had to come up for air, he pulled back slightly. “I love it.” He placed one half of the heart with chain in Sam’s palm, putting the other half around his own neck. “I know what you mean, about no promises. But know this: I’ll cherish this the rest of my life. No matter what happens. Thank you.”

The look on Sam’s face made Kyle want to spend every birthday from here on out with him. Deep down, he knew… really knew, that he’d never find anyone as special as Sam. But he’d never tell Sam that. Sam was going away to college, in a city over three hours away from New York, where he had friends, potential dates, maybe a potential spouse one day. There really wasn’t a way to make their young relationship work, and he was going to be rational about it.

Saturday came, and with it, dinner and a movie in Sarasota Springs again. Kyle still felt apprehensive, especially after what happened at the fair. But he had nothing to worry about; no one paid them much attention, even when they did walk hand in hand down the street and into the theater. No one said a word when Sam put his arm around Kyle. And not an eyelash batted when Sam gave him a quick kiss during the movie. All too soon it was over. The last of his birthday bash, the best birthday he’d ever had. And now the countdown clock seemed to speed up; he’d be leaving in four days.

Nineteen

I
T
WAS
the last evening before he was to leave. He felt sick to his stomach, not able to enjoy his last home-cooked dinner. The thought of facing his own home again made him want to run to the creek, or saddle up Bess and head for the ridge. To find Sam and gas up the truck to go back to the forest preserve. Go anywhere but the city, do anything but face reality, his old life… his real life. It was as if the past three months had been a dream, a wonderful, fantastic dream, with mostly good memories, but now he had to wake up.

He looked over at Sam as they lay on the bank of the creek, looking up at the moon through the trees.

“I’m going to miss you. A lot.”

Sam grasped Kyle’s hand. “I’m going to miss you too.”

“Your parents have asked me to come back next summer. How do you feel about that?”

“I think I’d like that.”

“Even if you find someone else to date?”

Sam didn’t answer for a few minutes but eventually spoke up. “Why don’t we cross that bridge if we come to it?”

“But if you’re dating someone… I hope he makes you happy. And I wouldn’t come back. It would be… awkward. Just… make sure he makes you happy, okay?”

“And you?”

“What about me?”

“What if you’re dating someone?”

Kyle knew that probably wouldn’t happen, but he’d put up a front. “Yeah, I shouldn’t come back if that happens. So… this might be it?”

“‘It’?”

“Our last night together. The end of… our summer.”

“You make it seem so final.”

Kyle looked away, back up to the night sky. “You said no promises. And I agree. I don’t have a car, don’t even know how to drive and… you should spend your weekends either here or at school studying, not driving a six-hour roundtrip for a weekend date. Yeah, maybe it’s best I don’t come back.”

“I…. My parents will be disappointed.”

“I don’t want… if you’re with someone, I… don’t want to feel uncomfortable. I don’t want you to feel bad, either.” Kyle sat up, twisting his body to look down at Sam. “Just… be happy. Be ecstatic. Be… beautiful with someone.” He placed his hand over Sam’s heart.

Sam captured Kyle’s hand, holding it to his chest. “And you too.” He pulled Kyle down for a long kiss.

K
YLE
fell into a fitful sleep. He’d packed everything up, his bags ready by the front door. He turned over yet again, noting it was four in the morning. In just two short hours, he’d be on his way back to town, back to the bus to the city, back to the confines of his neighborhood. A loud bang made him shoot straight up. Hurried footsteps raced down the stairs, then the kitchen door banging once, then twice. He scrambled out of bed to find his clothes. He got to the kitchen, skidding to a stop as a very calm Glenda was making coffee.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, hun, sorry we woke you up. A cow is ready to give birth and is having troubles. Walt and Sam are with her. Doc Cooper is on his way.”

“Do they need help?”

“Not really, but if you want to go out there, you can. Although if I remember correctly, you didn’t do so well the first birth.”

“I think I can handle it now.”

Glenda poured the coffee into a thermos. “Here, take this out along with some mugs. I’ll keep it coming.”

Kyle headed toward the barn, the world quiet around him, the still before the dawn. He peered around the corner of one stall to see a newborn calf struggling to stand.

“She okay? Looks like baby is healthy.” Kyle sat the thermos and mugs down on a sideboard.

“First calf is fine… can you take her over to the next stall? She can feed from another new mother.” Walt pointed to the stall across the barn.

“What’s wrong?” Kyle gently herded the still wet, gangly calf to the next stall, where she and another newborn started to suckle.

“Twins.”

Kyle popped his head over the side of the stall. “Twins?”

Sam wiped his brow with his sleeve. Walt was at the head of the cow, who was lying on her side.

“It’s unusual, and the second one’s stuck. Hope Doc Cooper gets here soon.”