A Family Name Read Free Page B

ranch?
    Bypassing his own small house, Will took the
driveway up to his parents' home. He pulled his truck up next to
Walker's, and noted that his younger brother, Wyatt, was also
there. The knot in his gut tightened as he climbed out of the cab.
Ice crunched under his feet as he made his way up to the massive
stone steps that led to the wraparound porch.
    Will took a deep breath to soothe the nerves
and pain racing around his body. Then one at a time he climbed the
steps. An ominous feeling wrapped around him as he pushed the front
door open, and stepped into the usually cheery house. The air,
normally infused with delicious smells of his mother's baking, hung
heavy.
    "Hello?" He heard himself speak, but the
voice seemed distant, disembodied.
    His father cleared his throat. "We're in
here, Will."
    Will turned the corner toward the living room
and stopped short. His father sat on the sofa with his arms around
his mother. Wyatt sat on the footstool, elbows resting on his
knees, looking like a little kid again. The sight might have made
Will smile if he hadn't caught Walker's gaze. His older brother
looked like a bus had hit him, red rimmed eyes, clenched jaw, and
all.
    With a hitch of his breath, Will said,
"What's wrong, people? Who died?"
    The moment the words left his mouth, Will
realized his stupidity. Tears rolled down his mother's face and she
turned to smother her sobs in his father's shirt front. Will's
mouth went dry. He shrugged helplessly as he looked from his dad to
Walker to Wyatt and back again.
    "William, I think you'd better sit down," his
father said. The serious tone reminded Will of all the times he had
been in trouble in high school.
    The only available spot was on the sofa next
to his mother. Will sank down into the soft cushions; his chest
tight with something he thought might be panic.
    "What's going on?" Will didn't realize that
he had reached out for his mother's hand, but when he looked down
he noticed that she was clutching him tightly.
    "I don't know how to tell you this, son,"
Will's father paused and cleared his throat again. "But, Steve and
Gretchen were in an accident this morning. Out on County 4A. It
looked like they were coming from the back pasture."
    Will's mind reeled as he pictured his best
friend and fellow professor and his pretty wife. "The back pasture?
We haven't been out there in months. Not since the weather got bad
in, what? November? We can't take groups up there right now. It's
too dangerous. Steve and Gretchen know that."
    From the corner of his eye, Will saw his
parents exchange a glance. His mother tightened her grip on his
hand. Another wave of nausea rolled over Will.
    "That's not all," Bill said, breaking through
Will's haze. "Their SUV rolled down an embankment." His dad's voice
broke, and he stopped talking for a moment. "They… they were killed
on impact."
    The words reverberated in Will's ears.
"No."
    They all had to be wrong. Steve wouldn't have
gone up to the pasture alone, and he would never have taken
Gretchen along. Will tried to remember the last time he and Steve
had spoken. Yesterday? The day before? They'd both been busy with
students and teaching, but they had agreed to go to Grumble's Bar
and Grill later in the week.
    "Will…" The heartbreak that he heard in his
mother's voice told him it was true.
    Something felt like it cracked open in his
chest. Will dropped his pounding head to his hands and tried to
make sense of the information. Steve and Gretchen had died. In a
car accident. That morning. What had they been doing up here? Had
they been looking for him? Hadn't Steve known Will had to teach a
class this morning? And the ice storm should have kept them at
home, right?
    "There has to be some mistake." Will choked
on the words as his throat constricted.
    "Son." Will felt his father's hand heavily on
his shoulder, but he didn't look up. The pain in his head
threatened to explode.
    A knock at the door drew his attention.
Walker strode across the room, and