Edmund leaned back on the bench of a picnic table on the Notorious P.I.G.’s patio. Tom Erickson, Molly’s father, was inside getting their food. He was very clear that he would be paying for this meal.
Tom came out of the door carrying two trays. He was a few inches taller than Edmund with short black hair and a carefully trimmed oval of mustache and goatee. He set both trays down on the table with a sandwich, baked beans, and chips for each of them. He then sat down across from Edmund and just watched him a moment.
Molly had explained that he’d wanted to meet Edmund the first time by himself, without her or her mom.
After an uncomfortable silence, Tom said in his deep, gravelly voice, “Molly swears up and down that you two have…restrained yourselves.”
Edmund blinked and recoiled a bit. Okay, straight to the point, then. “Ah, yes. Yes, that’s true.”
“Well good. Digging a hole that big way out in the deep woods is a pain in the ass.” With this, Tom took a bite of his sandwich and chewed.
Well, Edmund thought, this is all kinds of friendly. I can hardly wait for Thanksgiving dinner together.
“So you’re a good bit older than my girl, Edward,” Tom said after finishing with his bite.
Edmund nodded. “I usually just go by Ed.”
“So, Edward, let’s say you had a daughter.”
Ed smiled faintly, thinking, Yes, let’s say.
“And she was my Molly’s age, and she brought home a fellow your age. What would you think?”
Edmund took a deep breath, sighed, then said, “I would want to know that he was serious, that he wasn’t just treating her like a toy, that he actually cared about her.”
Tom just stared at him a moment. Then nodded slightly.
“Your daughter is a brilliant young woman. I am very lucky to have met her. And I do not take her affections lightly.”
Tom took a bite of his baked beans. Edmund had been growing hungry and finally did the same. A little too sweet for him, but otherwise good.
“So what is it you do, Edward? Molly didn’t really tell us much.”
“I used to be a computer programmer. I guess you could say I work in finance these days.”
Tom raised an eyebrow. “You a banker?”
“Oh! No, no. Nothing like that. I…I made some good investments a few years ago. I took some of that money and bought a little land out Augusta way. Once I have everything set up, I’d like to start growing my own food, be as self-sufficient as possible.”
Tom thought about this a moment, then tipped his head a bit. “Huh. Think I’d like to see this place sometime.”
“Not much out there yet, but I’d be glad to have you visit. Heck, you and Molly could come out to see it the first time together.”
Tom took another bite of his sandwich and nodded a little bit as he chewed. “Okay. Okay. So where do you think you two are headed?”
Edmund took a deep breath. “I think we’re still figuring that out. It hasn’t been that long. I can say right now, though, that…well, I’m hardly perfect, but I would not willingly hurt her.”
Edmund looked down at his food a moment, looked at his hands. “And…if anyone else hurts her, I can promise you, I will make them pay.”
Edmund looked back up to find Tom looking him up and down, taking his measure. After another silence, one corner of his mouth twisted up in a hint of a smile. Edmund suspected that was about as much emotion as he’d often see from this man.
“You know, after we’re done eating, there’s a bar not far from here I like. You any good at darts?”
Edmund looked down, exhaled long, then looked back up and said, “Can’t say how good I am, sir, but I’ll play.”
And the two of them finally seriously fell to on their food.
The Mayor of Christ Mountain 
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