About Today

His failure at escaping from the trunk didn't help Nate's mood despite Raylan encouraging words and now that he was several weeks into camp he found he hated it more than ever. He complained every evening, the heat, the bugs, the food, the ride, the other kids. He just wanted to stay in Lexington. He begged for a membership to the local pool promising he would spend the day there, but Raylan wasn't about to give in.

"Come on Dad, these kids have no use for a transplanted Floridian," Nate complained.

"Are all the kids from Lexington?" Raylan asked.

"They are from all around here, the surrounding counties."

"Well you're from here." Raylan said absent mindedly.

Nate realized that his roots were indeed local. The next week he mentioned his native origins and found that many of the kids suddenly looked at him differently; some refused to come near him while others feared not befriending him.

"What's your last name again?" A boy named Dayton asked.

"Givens," Nate answered.

"Oh Arlo Givens lives down the road from my grandma," Tate gasped. "He scares me."

"What was your mom's last name 'fore she got married Dayton asked.

Nadine had never married Raylan or any other man and her last remained Campbell until her death. It never was a decision for her to give Nate, Raylan's last name of Givens and it had never been questioned, but she had had her reasons.

"Campbell," Nate said slapping a mosquito off his arm.

Tate nearly tripped over his own two feet as he backed up. Dayton's eyebrows suddenly joined together as he inhaled. The boys looked as if they had seen a ghost leaving Nate at a loss. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing, how about we eat lunch with you today?" Dayton asked.

"Sure," Nate answered making a mental note to talk to his dad that night about exactly what connotations the name Campbell had.

"Kay, we'll see ya," Dayton said as he and Tate walked away.

"What ya tell him we'd eat with him for?" Tate asked after they were out of earshot.

"Cause I think it's better if we're nice to him, that's why," Dayton said.

Raylan had been hip high with the Bennett clan. The pot trade had kept them all busy and it looked as if there was a possible fraudulent check cashing going on as well. He also had to deal with Winona taking money from the evidence locker. Tension in Lexington and Harlan County was ratcheting up and it was not a good time for Nate to come home and start asking about his maternal grandparents.

"But Dad, they practically went cross-eyed when I told them Mom's last name." Nate said his eyes staring into Raylan's.

"Hmmm, who knows what the problem is. Stories abound down there."

"You said I should mention I was from here, now you need to tell me why they reacted the way they did." he said his foot tapping expectantly.

"Answers about what?" Raylan asked, distracted.

"About today."

"I guess I figured if you told them your local roots they would be more likely to think of you as one of their own. I really told you to tell them you were originally from here?"

"Yes, but obviously you weren't paying much attention to the conversation. Well they know something and I'm going to ask them what it is," Nate stated.

"Don't bother son, they won't know anything real. Fact and fiction get confused down there, nothing they tell you can be thought of as truth."

"What are you afraid of?"

Raylan was surprised by his son's statement. "Nothing, I just don't want you to be fed lies and half-truths."

"I'm asking, so if you don't want me to then don't send me there," Nate said standing up and turning to leave the room.

"Don't threaten me son, you have two weeks left of camp and I expect you to complete them without any problems arising," Raylan said sternly. Nate who had been walking away stopped in his tracks but didn't turn around. "Am I clear son?" Raylan asked his son's back. Nate remained quiet standing still. "Am I clear?" Raylan asked again. Nate bit his lower lip and continued to walk to his room never having answered his father.

Raylan debated about going after his son but his ringing phone stopped him. It appeared that his brilliant, but preoccupied idea to help Nate blend in to Harlan society had backfired. He looked at the caller ID and saw it was Art calling so with a sigh he answered.

Nate wanted to slam his door but knew if he did it would simply be an invitation for his father to track him down and reiterate once again what he wanted.

"Who and what?" Raylan asked Art over the phone.

"Carol Johnson, she is from Black Pike, they want to buy up a bunch of land and she will need protection while she is in Harlan and she personally requested you. Your rapport with the folk will come in might handy in this assignment. You pick her up tomorrow and expect to spend the weekend with her including overnights so if you need help with Nate let me know. He is always welcome at our place."

"Okay then," Raylan answered not particularly happy with the timing of all this. He looked down the hall at the closed door and sighed as he hung up the phone. It was Thursday night and he had no doubt that his stubborn child would undoubtedly ask everyone in sight tomorrow what they knew about the Campbell clan. He hated to send him but at the same time he didn't want to cave in to his eleven year old. He had once again underestimated his son.

A knock at the door pulled him from his jumble of thoughts. Winona was due at any time but she had been with them long enough she wasn't knocking anymore. Raylan walked over and opened it to see Tommy standing there grinning up at him. "Hey Marshal, is Nate home?"

"Why yes Tommy he is and how are you this evening?"

"I'm good, my mom sent me down here cause we're going to Lexington History Museum tomorrow cause Mom says I need to do something educational this summer and since its almost over we had better to do it soon."

"Well that sounds like a great plan Tom," Raylan said smiling at the rambling teen.

"So can Nate come too?"

"Well," he hesitated realizing this was the answer to his immediate problem, "why sure he can, in fact I think that is a fantastic idea."

"I know he'll miss camp, but I was hoping he wouldn't mind."

"He won't mind at all, I'm sure he'd love to go. You wait right here while I go get him."

Raylan knocked as he opened the door and saw Nate set his phone down. "What?" he asked tersely.

"Hey now, watch your tone," Raylan warned.

"Okay, what?" he asked much more softly.

"That's better, Tommy is at the door and wants to know if you want to go to the history museum tomorrow. I think it would be a great idea for you to go."

"Only because you don't want me to go to camp."

"That may be true, but you still have two weeks left so this would just be a little break for you."

"Are you asking me if I want to go to the museum or are you telling me I'm going?"

"I think you should go, broaden your Lexington experiences."

"Ha, hard to do if you don't like horses or bourbon."

"True enough, so you should take this opportunity then."

"Well sure I will, if you let me go take Loretta up on her offer to go to a gathering this weekend." Raylan wasn't sure what to even think about this request. "Quid pro quo, father."

"Ah, the old something for something ploy. When and where is this gathering?"

"Sunday and Harlan of course."

"I know Harlan but where in Harlan?"

Nate shrugged his shoulders, "Bennett's I think. You promised Mags that she would get to see me more."

"I didn't know you and Loretta had grown so close."

"I texted her after her kidnapping to check on her and we stayed in contact. I think she just wants to make sure there is somebody else there that she knows."

"Well I have to work all weekend and can't take you down there."

"I'll find a ride," Nate stated with the look his mother often wore when she set her mind to something.

"Okay, you find a ride you can go as long as you call me every hour and stay away from all Bennett's that aren't Mags, and you do not say another word about the Campbell's. Deal?"

Nate thought about it for a minute but finally agreed.

"And don't think I won't find out about it if you do."

"Fine, where are you working this weekend? Out of state?"

"Nope Harlan," Raylan said smiling.