Better Than This: A Nine Minutes Spin-Off Novel

by Beth Flynn

  I nodded my agreement while trying to deny the sinking feeling in my stomach. It was okay for me to have reservations about this part of our relationship, but I couldn’t deny that thinking he might feel the same way didn’t sit right with me. Changing the subject, Darlene asked, “What have you heard from Fancy?”

  “Absolutely nothing.” I wrung out my wet towel and reached for a clean one. “I’m a little surprised that she hasn’t pursued what she thinks I owe her. She hasn’t, and that tells me she’s already found someone new. I’m sure she’s doing fine.”

  “And in what kind of condition did she leave your condo?”

  I stopped what I was doing and looked at Darlene’s profile as she concentrated on scrubbing a particularly nasty casserole dish. With my hand on my hip, I told her, “Here’s a shocker. The realtor said she left it in pristine condition. They found her key under the mat.”

  She gave me a sidelong glance and raised a brow.

  “Right?” I swung the towel around, mimicking a helicopter blade. “I expected to have to send in one of those restoration crews after she left. I was certain I’d angered her enough that she would’ve taken it out on the place. The few pieces of furniture she hadn’t sold were untouched, the bathrooms scrubbed clean, the floors mopped. I’m wondering if an alien abducted the real Fancy.”

  “I guess you should be thankful that it wasn’t an ordeal trying to get her to move out,” Darlene added before pulling the plug in the sudsy sink.

  “I can’t believe how much food your boyfriend can eat,” came a soft voice from behind us. It was Sheila. She wasn’t officially back at work until the following Monday, but didn’t want to miss the annual Thanksgiving feast. “I think he went back for a third refill,” she informed us.

  “Jake can eat,” I laughed. “You won’t have to worry about packing up leftovers.”

  Sheila had shared earlier that after he was released from the hospital, her husband showed up at her front door and politely asked her not to call the police while he packed up some of his belongings. We were surprised to hear that he told her how sorry he was for everything and that he was leaving town. He wasn’t sure where he would end up but promised to send an address when he had one so she could forward divorce papers. That was weeks ago, and she still hadn’t heard from him. He was definitely one missing person I wouldn’t miss. After thanking us for helping with the first half of the cleanup, she excused herself to go back to the dining room to supervise dessert.

  “I might stop by tomorrow to see how your renovation is going.” Darlene picked up a bottle of hand lotion that was next to the dish soap and wordlessly offered me a squirt.

  As we both moisturized, I explained that tomorrow was a big day and I was one step closer to having an upstairs bathroom. Jake would be removing the floor in my old bedroom and the plumber promised he’d get the tub and other fixtures installed on Monday. “It’ll be so nice to get that huge bathtub out of my guest room,” I confessed. “I’m so glad I haven’t put a bed in there yet. I wouldn’t have had a place to store the tub.”

  Darlene smiled at the same moment I felt a warm breath on my neck and familiar arms circling my waist from behind. “I heard a rumor that I’m accused of denying the dinner guests leftovers.”

  “It’s not a rumor if it’s true,” I teased.

  The next morning I heard a familiar scratching at my back door and greeted my visitor with a big smile. I gave Henry the remnants of my toast and said, “I know your daddy doesn’t like you getting table scraps but it’ll be our secret.” I put my hands on my hips and asked with mock offense, “And what? No present for me this morning? Because I have one for you.” I reached into my back pocket and bent low to tie a blue bandanna around his neck. “Aren’t you a handsome boy?” I stood back and, crossing my arms, smiled at my handiwork. A low chuckle escaped as I considered the many treasures Henry had bestowed on me the last few weeks. Jake and I had surmised that he’d stumbled on a few of the old campsites that gypsy migrant workers had set up in the woods in years past. My new furry friend had a nice pile of goodies stored in the corner of my pantry.

  “I knew there was a reason he takes off every morning after he gets his breakfast. He’s coming down here for seconds,” Jake teased as he turned the corner and nudged Henry past me and into the kitchen. “And presents from my lady.”

  I uncrossed my arms. “Where did you come from? You weren’t supposed to be here until ten.”

  His right hand reached for the back of my head as he steered my lips to his. My arms looped around his neck and I pulled him closer, reveling in the heat from his muscular form. “Good morning, beautiful,” his mouth whispered against mine. “I missed you, baby.”

  I stood on my tippy-toes and pressed my forehead against his. “I saw you last night,” I reminded him as I raked my hands through his hair.

  “Even an hour away from you is too long, Barbie.” His kiss was gentle, teasing at first, but I found myself sighing and leaning back against the kitchen wall as it intensified. I almost asked him why he didn’t stay the night and quickly reminded myself that I hadn’t invited him, nor would I. If there was going to be a move toward the bedroom, Jake would have to make it first. And since I still wasn’t where I needed to be emotionally in this relationship, it was just as well. A gust of cool air broke the spell, and after closing the kitchen door, he answered the question I asked only moments earlier.

  “I finished up early at my house and thought I’d get started on your bathroom floor. Didn’t you hear my truck?”

  I shook my head as he asked, “Are you helping or watching?”

  I glanced at the rooster clock perched above the window over my kitchen sink. “I ordered a specialty fixture the plumber will need for Monday and because it’s so big, the post office is holding it. I wanted to pick it up sooner rather than later.”

  “Go!” He shooed me away as he reached for a mug and helped himself to coffee. I watched as Henry padded his way to the heat vent, found his favorite spot on a tattered throw rug, and curled up into an oversized fur ball. My insides warmed at how comfortable they were in my home. Feels like a real family, I thought and immediately dissolved the notion. I wouldn’t allow myself to bask in it for too long in case it wasn’t real.

  “What was Henry’s latest present?” Jake asked as he lifted the steaming cup to his lips. “He brought me a disgusting toothbrush and an old turtle shell yesterday,” he added before taking a sip.

  I laughed and waved toward my pantry. “I got a man’s work boot. It’s old so I knew it wasn’t yours. I was grateful it didn’t have a foot in it.”

  I asked Jake if he needed anything in town, and after assuring me he didn’t, I grabbed my purse and keys. “I won’t be long,” I promised as I snatched my coat from a hook near the kitchen and headed for the front door.

  The drive to the post office was uneventful and I was pleased to see the vintage fixture I ordered was exactly as advertised. I arrived home and let myself in the house, the noise echoing down the stairs a clear indication that Jake was hard at work overhead. It wasn’t until I reached the top step that I wondered if he’d come across the old flashlight.

  When I got to my childhood bedroom, I paused in the doorway and watched him work. He must’ve felt my presence because he turned around and winked at me. I walked in and took notice of where he’d removed some of the flooring. I cleared my throat and asked, “Did you happen to find anything while ripping up the old wood?”

  He stood up and brushed his hands down his jeans. “I did.” His tone was mildly curious as he pointed to a corner of the room. “Did you make a habit of hiding your lunchbox under your bedroom floor?”

  I followed his gaze and my eyes settled on a Holly Hobbie lunchbox. As my brain scrambled to make sense of the find, he added, “There was a corroded old flashlight down there too. Looks like someone wrote initials on it.”

  “KP,” I whispered as I gravitated to the corner of the room where Jake had placed the buried
treasures. Shaking my head, I wondered out loud, “Why would Fancy’s lunchbox be beneath my old bedroom floor?”

  I could practically feel the shrug of his shoulders from behind me. “I can’t help you with that one.”

  Ignoring the ringing that had started in my ears, I bent over and retrieved them both from the floor. I whirled around to face Jake. “I remember this lunchbox even though I never laid eyes on it,” I said as I weighed it in my hand.

  He gave me a questioning look.

  “It was the first and only summer I went to camp. The summer Kenny ran away,” I reminded him. I stared over his shoulder at a spot on the wall and tried to resurrect a memory. “While I was gone, my grandmother bought it for Fancy. She was starting kindergarten, I think.” I could feel the crease in my forehead as I grappled with the recollection. “Anyway, when I got home from camp, Fancy had been fussing because it got lost somewhere and they couldn’t find another one. I guess Holly Hobbie was all the rage that year.” I broke my stare to give him my full attention. “Of course none of this explains how it ended up under my floor.”

  He motioned with his hand and added, “It looks like it’s in good condition. Like it’s never been used. Why don’t you open it? Maybe you’ll find an explanation inside.”

  I knew he was right but felt overcome by emotional as well as physical paralysis. I wrestled with the fear of having a glimmer of hope that might solve a forty-year-old mystery, only to be let down by the possibility that my witch of a grandmother had deliberately put it there to let me know she’d known about my secret flashlight.

  Jake’s voice interrupted my internal reflections. “Why the hesitancy, Barbie?”

  I blew out a breath. “Because I’m seriously considering the likelihood that my grandmother knew about my hiding place and I’ll find a nasty note inside.” I bit the inside of my cheek as I shook my head. “Who knows? More than likely she was ticked at Fancy for something and it was a psychological punishment of some sort. The woman was crazy. It could be anything.”

  “It could be from Kenny.”

  “No way,” I scoffed. “I never told Kenny where I kept the flashlight.”

  “He could’ve figured it out.” Jake paused and looked around the small room. “There could only be so many places to hide something in a room this size. From what you’ve told me about Kenny, he was a resourceful kid and your best friend. You may not have told him directly, but he could’ve deduced it from things you might’ve said.”

  I held up the flashlight and squinted to see the faded initials. Oh, Kenny. Nodding my head in reluctant agreement, I left the room. I wanted to sit down before I opened it. When I got to the stairs, I turned around and yelled, “Are you coming?”

  Jake peeked his head outside the door and asked, “Am I invited?”

  “Of course you are.”

  I sat on the couch and felt the comforting shift of weight on the cushion as Jake took his place next to me. I set the flashlight on the coffee table and placed the lunchbox on my knees. I looked at Jake and smiled when he gave me a reassuring wink. Turning back to Holly Hobbie, I opened the latch and slowly lifted the lid. I gasped out loud as I touched my hand to my heart. “He left if for me. All this time, it was right under my nose.”

  I reached in and slowly lifted out my grandfather’s pocket watch. The pocket watch I’d left with Kenny as a testament and reflection of my love for him the night before I left for camp. The watch that was supposed to have been a good luck talisman in my absence.

  “Oh, Jake.” My voice was hoarse as I coped with my emotions. “You were right. Kenny must’ve figured out my hiding place.” I swallowed, my throat thick, when I realized the enormity of this find and what my extra week at summer camp had cost me—decades of doubt, pain, loss, and uncertainty.

  He listened patiently as I tried to explain through heaping sobs of emotion how upon my return from camp I’d been thrust into a panic when I realized how long Kenny had been gone. I briefly described our communication system and explained my urgency to get the flashlight to signal him from my window. I described my frustration at not being able to find my nail file to pry up the floor and how I grabbed the flashlight from the pantry instead.

  “I never lifted the board up again,” I admitted as I laid the lunchbox next to the flashlight with shaky hands and wept into Jake’s chest while tightly clutching the pocket watch. I don’t know how long I cried, but it was long enough to leave a wet stain on his shirt. I felt a warm hand on my back and realized Darlene must’ve shown up. I hadn’t even noticed her arrival. She retrieved a box of tissues, and once I calmed down, I listened as Jake explained the find to Darlene.

  “So now you know, honey,” came her soothing voice.

  “There’s something else in there.”

  Darlene and I both looked at Jake. I was getting ready to state that I’d seen the thermos and didn’t think it meant anything, when he reached in and pulled out something wrapped in a yellowed paper towel. He handed it to me. I removed the paper towel and looked at Darlene.

  Her expression was one of total bewilderment. “Why would Kenny leave you an old change purse?”

  My chest began to tighten as I realized the significance of the gift. “Because it was his most prized possession and all he had left of her,” I managed to choke out. “And if I’m right, you’ll find exactly four dollars and thirty-two cents inside.”

  “Barbie?” The question in Jake’s voice prompted me to elaborate.

  I sucked in a healthy dose of air as a wave of past emotions were brought back by that one inhalation. “Kenny’s mother left a year or so before I moved here. He was around ten years old and Jonathan couldn’t have been more than three. Kenny remembered hearing his parents quarreling the night before. It wasn’t an especially bad fight so he fell asleep without giving it a second thought. When he got up the next morning, his father told him that she’d left and wouldn’t be back. He said that she took everything she owned, but she didn’t want a reminder of them so she told him he could keep the family pictures. He’d been up all night drinking and tossing them in the fireplace. Kenny was devastated and more so when he ran to her bedroom and confirmed that her closet and dresser drawers had been emptied. She took every single piece of clothing she owned. Every possession. Except for two.” I reached for a new tissue. “Kenny said she always wore an apron and she was never without her change purse that she kept in the pocket.” I blew my nose before continuing. “She kept the apron on a hook on the inside of the kitchen pantry door. It was the only thing she left. Maybe she left it on purpose or forgot it. Kenny found it and hid it because he was afraid his father would throw it away. The apron and purse were the only things he had left of her. He held on to them because he was certain she’d be back.”

  “You never told me this,” came Darlene’s whisper from beside me. I reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it too tightly.

  “It wasn’t my story to tell,” I replied.

  With her free hand, Darlene picked up the thermos. “Do you think there’s something inside?”

  Jake reached for it, and taking it from her, said, “Only one way to find out.” He unscrewed the cup and the cap that sealed the thermos. He turned it upside down over the table and a rolled-up piece of paper fell out. I seized the yellowed note with my free hand, and let go of Darlene’s. I stood and walked toward the fireplace. With my back to them, I slowly read the note that had been neatly printed in pencil. I recognized Kenny’s handwriting immediately, and unlike the hastily scribbled initials on my flashlight, I could see that he took his time giving deliberate care to each word.

  Dear Barbie,

  I know it’s Friday night and you’re finding this because you’re back from camp and you said you would signal me as soon as you got home. I won’t be in the tree house to answer you. I have to leave to find my great-aunt. I’ve never met her but I think she’s the only one that might know the truth about something my daddy told me after he caught us the other nigh
t. I know your grandma keeps money in a soap tin behind her pickling jars. I’m going to steal it and I’m sorry ’cause I know she’ll blame you. I don’t have the heart to spend my momma’s money. I’m giving you her change purse and your granddaddy’s watch for safe keeping.

  I don’t know how long I’ll be gone but I promise to write to you. I know it’s safe because you’re the only one who checks the mail. I don’t know if I’ll have an address for you to write back, but at least you’ll hear from me. I’ll try to call when I think you’ll be alone in the house. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I love you, Barbie doll.

  Kenny

  P.S. You can make up a story to tell Jonathan why I’m gone. Just make sure he knows I’m coming back.

  I couldn’t contain the pain that bubbled up from my chest and lodged in my throat. I stifled a sob as both Darlene and Jake jumped up and came toward me. I handed him the note as Darlene pulled me tight against her. I heard her ask, “Is it okay if we read it?” I nodded my head against her shoulder and listened as Jake read the note for her to hear.

  “He loved you, Barbie. Kenny loved you and was coming back to you.” Darlene pulled back and cradled my cheeks in both of her hands. With tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, she repeated, “Kenny didn’t leave you. He loved you, and he left for a reason and planned on coming back.”

  “But why didn’t he?” I wailed.

  “Probably for the same reason I couldn’t face my parents after I got out of prison.”

  We both looked at Jake and his face bore traces of his pain. “I was ashamed at what I’d done. Ashamed that I’d caused them so much heartache. Mine’s a long story that I haven’t shared completely, Barbie, but I will one day. I guess Kenny got into something he hadn’t planned and it sealed his fate.”

  “But I never got any letters.” My tears were subsiding and I was grateful they hadn’t morphed into hiccups. I wrinkled my brow in concentration and the memory that surfaced caused an explosion of anger.