“That’s just awful. Where are your parents anyway? You never mention them.”

“Oh, well, Thailand I think right now. Mom wanted to study Asian cooking, they’ve been traveling for a year now.”

Nick turned them into their lane. “A year? Were they gone when…”

“They were by the time I woke up.”

“I’m sorry.”

“They had reservations, plans.” He’d needed them there, he really had, and by the time he was aware enough to really know what had happened they were gone.

Nick only shook his head and kept his mouth shut. It wasn’t his place to pass judgment on someone else’s family, not when his own was far from perfect. “What’re you doing for lunch tomorrow?”

“Huh?”

“Lunch, tomorrow?”

“Grilled cheese or the like.”

“I have tickets to the Dutch Suppers, want to go with me?”

“Dutch Suppers?” Epi popped his door open and waited until Nick came around the back of the car and got his crutches out of the back seat.

“Yeah, local fire company here, it’s a tradition, twice a year they make and serve Penn Dutch food. Mostly it’s outsiders that go but I got tickets.”

“Billy not free?” he asked carefully as he stood up.

“I didn’t ask him.”

Epi could hear the tight unhappiness in the other man’s voice and raised an eyebrow. “What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“Please, you didn’t get those tickets to take me.”

“I…no I didn’t. He told his family we were… that I was his boyfriend.”

“How dare he.”

“He told them I’d be there for Thanksgiving and Christmas and never talked to me about it. His sister even hinted about when I was moving in with him.”

He could understand why that might upset Nick. “So you got pissed off and had a fight.”

“Yeah and he told me to go to hell.” Nick grinned. “Ah well, I’m not going to have my arm twisted into anything or be blackmailed into doing anything. So what do you say? Go with me?”

“Sounds better than grilled cheese. Thanks.” There was no doubt that Nick could have picked up the phone and found someone else to go with him and Epi wondered if the other man had asked him because he’d rather go with him or if he was just easier.  

 

Epi hadn’t been certain how formal or casual to dress and Nick hadn’t said if it was a fancy meal or not, so he stuck with what he normally wore, a nice pair of trousers and a sweater pulled over a shirt. He’d always tended to dress more conservatively but that had only gotten worse since the accident. He was fussing about the casual clothes and wondering if he should have put on a suit when he saw Nick in nice blue jeans and a pull over polo style shirt.

“Hey, ready?”

He paused just to enjoy the sight of Nick in the early afternoon sunlight as he nodded. It lit up the man’s hair and gave it an auburn look, made his eyes squint a little like some movie cowboy and Epi didn’t mind the simple pleasure of just staring.

“You look nice,” Nick muttered a little as he hurried to open the car door.

The softly spoken compliment caught Epi off guard. “Thanks, I was thinking the same about you.”

Nick glanced away. “Isn’t a long drive, less than five minutes…”

“I’ll keep the crutches up here.”

“Good.” He made sure Epi was all the way into the car and shut the door behind the man. As he rounded the back of the car he shook his head. “You look nice, you look nice! What an ass…”

They drove in silence back into town and up the hill to the volunteer fire company building. “I know you don’t like to use it but if we don’t we’ll have to park down the hill in the church lot.” Nick tossed the handicap parking permit onto the dash board.

“It’s okay.”

“The whole thing benefits the fire company but it’s mostly out of towners. Not too many Dutch families went in the early days.”

“Why?”

Nick shrugged. “Not our way back then to spend a couple of dollars to eat out. You’ll see more locals now but it’s still eighty percent outsiders.”

“And you wanted to bring Billy?”

“He’d been asking about some of the food…”

Epi caught the forced indifference to Nick’s voice and saw through how hard he was trying not to care. “Well, his loss is my gain. I’m starving.”

“Good, there’s plenty to eat.”

Epi dragged himself out of the car and was surprised by the number of people and cars in the lot. Somehow he’d expected something small scale or like a small restaurant, not a fire hall community room filled with well over a hundred people. The smells of food rolled out of the building every time the door opened and Epi’s stomach growled.

“Hey Nick.” A man about Nick’s age wearing a fire police vest nodded as they walked by.

“Frank. How’s the family?”

“Good, good.”

That set a trend. It seemed like every local they saw knew Nick and said at least hello. One of the older men inside had even reserved them a spot at the end of one of the long tables so they wouldn’t get smashed in between people and Epi would have space for his crutches. Everyone they spoke to Nick introduced to Epi, but the names ran together into a blur of Kaultriders and Werners, Krebs and Reberts. To each one Nick made sure they knew that Epi was the man that had bought his Aunt’s house and subtly also made it clear they weren’t involved at the same time.

At several points on each table were menus and Epi found himself shaking his head. “My German isn’t very good. Hinkel Bottboi?”

“Chicken pot pie.”

“Oh, I like that.”

“Well, it’s boiled, not like in a crust.”

“Oh, and Groascht Waascht?”

“Roasted sausage.”

“Okay and Snitz and Knepp?”

“Snitz is apples dried and sliced and knepp is just a dumpling but the dish is a cured ham soaked in water that was used to soak snitz in, it’s cooked in the apple broth and the apples are added back in and dumplings, knepp, are dropped on top. The pan is covered and the dumplings steam up. It’s good.”

“Huh. Well I’ll try almost anything once.”

“They don’t have hog maw though, they don’t serve it anymore.”

“Hog maw?”

“A pig’s stomach stuffed with potatoes and sausage. It’s baked and good.” He expected Epi to make a face like most people did at learning about one of Nick’s favorite foods.

“I’d give it a go. I’ve had haggis and it was actually quite good.”

It was Nick’s turn to be surprised. “I’ll have to let you know when someone in the family makes it again. Aunt Minnie used to make it for me on my birthday.”

Epi was going to make some sort of comment back but massive platters and bowls of food started coming out of the kitchen. The smell was delicious alone and soon the strangers at the table started passing the wonderful, if different, food around family style. He got too busy with new foods and tastes to worry about anything other than enjoying himself and stuffing themselves full.

 

As desert was being brought around, Apple Snitz pie, shoe fly and more, all types Epi didn’t know about, one of the older men of the fire department came over and knelt down by them.

“So you’re the fellow that bought Minnie’s place?”

“Yes, sir,” Epi answered respectfully.

“You taking to our little town?”

“I’m enjoying the quiet.”

“We’re quiet, that’s for sure. You enjoy the supper?”

“Everything was wonderful.”

The older man nodded and glanced between Epi and Nick. “He’s taking care of you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Couldn’t ask for a better caretaker. Nicky here, he’s a good boy.”

“Mr. Miller…” Nick muttered.

The older man laughed. “Let me talk you up, boy. When his Uncle Jonas had the stroke and was dying in the hospital? Nicky here took off the whole week from school to stay in the hospital with him. Never for a moment let that old coot alone or let his Aunt sit with him alone, day or night for five days. Whenever we went in to see him, there Nicky was, holding his hand and telling him it was okay. Nicky came back from out West too when Minnie was so frail. Not many children would do that in this day and age, let alone a great nephew.”

“Mr. Miller means well but don’t listen to half of what he says.”

The older Mr. Miller patted Epi’s arm. “You’re in good hands with Nicky”

When he glanced over, Nick was blushing a little.

 

“Nicky huh?”

“Nick, I haven’t gone by Nicky since I was fourteen.”

“Nicccckkkyyyy,” Epi teased. “It sounds like a cute cheerleader.”

Nick gave Epi a look that said he wasn’t even the least amused as they pulled the car down the lane. “So you liked the food?”

“Oh good God, yes.” He patted his stomach. “I haven’t eaten that well in a very, very long time.” Before he could get the car door open another car turned into their lane.

“It’s simple food but good.”

“Excellent I’d say. Some of the best food in the world is simple.” He glanced to Nick but he could tell by how the other man was watching the car that he didn’t know who it was either. “Expecting someone?”

“No, you?”

“Nope.”

The car was simple, ordinary sedan but it made sure to back up and turn around and face down the lane before the driver parked. The man that stepped from inside was middle aged, dressed fairly casually and as ordinary as his car. He walked over to where Epi and Nick hovered near their own car and paused.

“Afternoon,” the stranger greeted.

“Afternoon.” Nick answered and moved to stand between where Epi still sat on the edge of the car seat and the new arrival. “Can we help you?”

“Hopefully, I’m looking for Shannon Whitmore. This is supposed to be her address.”

“Sorry, no women live here.” Nick answered.

“Know where I can find her?”

“Never heard of her.” Though he wondered what Epi’s sister’s name was.

“Mind if I take a look around?”

“Yes. I do.”

“I’m Shannon.” Epi sighed and stood up.

“What?” Nick glanced over his shoulder.

“I’m Shannon. It’s what the S stands for.”

The two men looked at Epi like he was speaking gibberish so he fished his wallet out of his back pocket. He flipped it open and handed it over to Nick. “See? Shannon Epitome Whitmore. I’m Shannon Whitmore.”

The wallet got passed to the stranger who looked like he didn’t really believe that the woman he was looking for was a man.

“What can I do for you?”

The man stared at the identification and up to Epi before handing Nick back the wallet. “Well….these are for you.” He produced a folded stack of papers from his back pocket and handed them to Nick as well.

“What’s this about?” Epi frowned.

“Not my job to worry about that, just my job to serve them. Have a great day.” He smiled, nodded and hurried back to his car.

“Serve them…”

“Looks like legal papers.” Nick handed the stack over to Epi. “What are they?”

Epi didn’t answer as he read over the first page.

“Shannon huh?”

“It’s a family name, Nicky!” He snapped back. It wasn’t Nick he was getting angry at. “Fucking hell, oh fucking hell… they can’t do this…” He shook his head and started toward the ramp. “They can’t do this…” He muttered.

“Do what? What’s wrong?” Nick moved and caught Epi at the top of the ramp. “What’s happened?”

Epi smacked the papers out into Nick’s chest. “Get out of my way I have to call my lawyer.”

“Epi, tell me what’s going on…” He took the papers tossed at him as an invitation, but he also was smart enough to step to the side. Epi wasn’t just angry, he was really pissed off, and Nick wasn’t sure if the other man would refrain from beating him with a metal crutch to get him to move.

He unfolded the papers and started to read but they made little sense to him. One phrase stood out, one line that he did understand. “You’re being sued for wrongful death? Who’s wrongful death?”  He called out as Epi hurried into the house to get his phone.

Nick’s questions stopped him as he was dialing. “My ex-boyfriend's. You know, the asshole that drove us into a tree.”

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