Thems the Brakes

 It was only Wednesday the 13th, but Rafe was between a rock and hard place. He missed coming in five minutes on his first day at UPS and was axed. How could that be? Didn't they consider the traffic? Evidently, he hadn't. 

"Well, you still have the bakery," Boone shrugged and went to get him coffee.

But he couldn't help to be sad as he crammed the banana and walnut muffin in his mouth. "It's more than that that." His muffled voice said. He wasn't sure if Boone knew. Rafe's brother broke up with Mercer.

"And it's all Lily's fault!" Rafe snapped before he could even get to the creamed coffee.

Boone only sighed. Nothing was going to rattle him evidently, he sipped his coffee in thought. 

"Maybe, your brother had other reasons too. It might have been an excuse," Boone said ever so calm.

"Yeah, well, he just set a fire, you know. God, I feel bad for Mercer," Rafe swelled a frown as he stood in the back of the bakery kitchen drinking his coffee.

"I guess he had to get it done," Boone sighed. 

"But it's Mercer," Rafe thought he might be at the point of crying. "He was my friend too. We all knew each other since third grade."

Boone nodded and said that was a long time. 

"I don't want my brother seeing anybody but Mercer," Rafe's frown was in a pout and Boone laughed at him.

"You know, it doesn't work that way. If you said that to Cade, you know he'd never get back together with Mercer. Just leave it alone." Boone then said that he and Maddie were going to see Mercer in his play. His brother and his wife were going to. "But we got room in the car, for you and Ruby if you want to tag along."

"Just the four of us?" Rafe was serious.

"Just the four of us," Boone nodded.

Ruby had been after him for a while about them not going out with friends. He winced. Hopefully, Maddie was down with this. And he hoped he found something more prospering than being a UPS guy, but he thought he'd look mighty fine in an UPS uniform. Evidently, not.