Hanging Stars On Big Willow Creek: A Novel

by Sarah Hill

  “I bet my dad has some rope we can use,” Maysen continued, as if he couldn’t hear Rylie.

  “You. He probably has some rope YOU can use because I am not doing that.” Rylie went back inside refusing to take part in his crazy idea.

  Following her back inside, Maysen said, “Come on Rylie. Don’t you think it’d be amazing flying through the air?”

  Rylie sat down against the pillows and picked her notebook up. “No, I don’t.”

  He sat next to her and said, “I’m going to get one. I bet you change your mind once you see how fun it is.”

  “Good luck.”

  Maysen smiled. “Okay, what do you want to do tonight?”

  Frowning she looked at him and said, “I thought we were camping out?”

  “We are, but did you want to play games? I brought some cards and can teach you how to play poker or we can tell ghost stories.”

  Realizing she wasn’t going to be able to sit and write tonight, Rylie set her notebook aside again and said, “Wanna play Hide-n-Seek?”

  “In the dark?” he asked, grinning at her.

  “In the dark. You’re it first. The tree trunk is base. Count of sixty and you can’t start until my hands and feet are on the ladder. Got it?” she asked, walking towards the ladder.

  “Got it,” he said, rubbing his hands together and laughing.

  They played Hide-n-Seek into the late hours of the night, screaming and laughing each time one of them found the other and they raced towards base. Rylie never had a sleep-over, as she had never been invited to one. She doubted any were ever as fun as her first one that night, as she and Maysen ran along the tree line of the creek.

  October 10, 2010 – Early Morning

  Rylie survived the longest leg of her journey and was now sitting in the Salt Lake City airport, picking at a muffin she’d grabbed at one of its coffee shops on her way to her next gate. She wanted to call Spencer and see how Alex was doing but she knew he’d be asleep and didn’t want to wake him. She hoped Spencer let Alex sleep in their bed to give him a little more comfort. She stuffed another piece of the muffin in her mouth and looked around. She needed something to occupy her mind so she didn’t go crazy thinking about what was going on at home or what she was facing when she arrived in Idaho.

  She pulled her phone from her coat pocket and tried to scroll through some social media, but wasn’t seeing anything in her sleep deprived state. She sighed and looked around the airport at the other sleepy travelers and her eyes fell on a little blond, curly-haired boy with blue eyes. He was playing with some cars on the floor in his pajamas. Her lips formed a tight line as she looked back down at her phone and taking a deep breath typed the name, Maysen Banks into the search engine. She stared at the picture that filled the profile circle. He still showed off those damn dimples. Joining him in the photo was a beautiful blond woman and two little girls, who looked to be around eight and six years of age. The older girl inherited her father’s smile and sapphire eyes. Rylie felt a slight pang as she stared at the family photo. It was strange to think about how much time had passed and how much had changed. She was thirty-eight years old now. Doing some quick math, she realized it’d been twenty years since she’d been back. How had so much time slipped away?

  Putting her phone away, she stood up and walked down the terminal to the connecting concourse to find the bookstore she’d passed when she’d first arrived. It was closer than she’d thought. It was visible as soon as she turned the corner. She walked in and started browsing the bookshelves. Seeing they carried a few of her titles made her smile. How had she gotten here? A thought tickled her mind and she walked over to the clerk at the front register and asked if she could borrow a pen. She spent the next several minutes signing every copy they had and left a little note for future readers, that read, “Thank you for reading my book and helping me to realize my dreams.” Closing the book, she stared at her name on the cover. Rylie Green was stamped in a beautiful font at the bottom of the cover. She chose to use the name she took for herself after the Green’s became her family. It didn’t bother Spencer that she didn’t use her married name, noting a lot of authors used pen names.

  She returned the pen and continued browsing the store. She hadn’t had time to read someone else’s book for a long time and decided she’d pick one out to help pass the time while she was at the hospital.

  “Excuse me, are you Rylie Green?”

  Rylie looked up from the book description she’d been reading. A young woman in her twenties was holding one of Rylie’s books in her hand with wide eyes and gushed, “Oh my gosh, it is you! I saw you signing books over there.” The woman held up her book and added, “I’d already grabbed this one and I was hoping you’d sign it too?”

  “Of course,” Rylie said, smiling. Taking the book and the woman’s pen, she asked, “What’s your name?”

  “Breeana. I’ve read all your books. Except this one and your new release of course, which doesn’t seem to be in this store.”

  “Airport bookstores,” Rylie said, with a shrug. “I’m glad you enjoy them because I love writing them,” she said, handing the book and pen back to her. “Where are you headed?”

  “Chicago. Going home for a bit.”

  Rylie nodded and pointing at herself said, “I’m going home too. Opposite direction though, Idaho.”

  “Oh, land of the potatoes?”

  Rylie laughed. “That would be it. Have you ever been?”

  “No. Not sure I’d want to, no offense, but there’s not much to do, is there?”

  “No offense taken. I haven’t been back for twenty years, so I can’t say what entertainment there may have now. I enjoyed camping and exploring the outdoors when I was young.”

  “The outdoors have never been my thing,” Breeana said, with a smirk.

  “Yeah. Well, I left for a reason. I haven’t been back for twenty years. The only thing there for me now is my family.”

  “Twenty years? That’s a long time to go without family. I’d lose my mind if I couldn’t see mine every few months. We take turns visiting.”

  “I actually see them often. They come visit me in New York regularly. I just haven’t been home since I left,” Rylie said, with a shrug. “There’s just nothing there for me anymore.”

  “Attention travelers. Flight 204 to Chicago is now ready to board at gate 23B”

  “That’s me,” Breeana said, glancing towards the ceiling at the invisible voice. Looking back at Rylie, she held up her book and said, “Thanks again.”

  “Yeah, of course. I hope you enjoy it.”

  “I have no doubt,” she said with a smile. “Good luck back home.” She waved and left the bookstore in the direction of the terminal.

  Sighing, Rylie took the books she’d chosen to the cashier to pay for them and then headed back towards her gate. Wanting to avoid the area where the blond curly-haired boy played with his cars, she sat in a seat facing the other direction. Taking one of the books from the bag, she slid her hand across the cover admiring the fall colors of the tree lined street that adorned it. The cover is what drew her to this book. She could imagine herself walking down the peaceful street and breathing in the smell of dried leaves as they crunched beneath her feet. Fall would be setting in when she arrived. She always loved this season and as much as she hated to admit it, she missed fall in Idaho. As she opened the book, she smiled at the sound of the spine cracking open. She always loved that sound. It marked new characters to fall in love with and a new world to get wrapped up in. Bringing the open book to her nose, she closed her eyes and sniffed the pages. How anyone could prefer reading a book any other way, she’d never understand. Diving into the story, she immersed herself into the life of four best friends who were each dealing with trials of varying degrees in their lives. Halfway through chapter seven she felt a tap against the heel of her foot. Startled, she jumped and closed the book to look under her seat. The little blue-eyed boy lay there with a car in his hand and a smile on his face.


  “Hello there.”

  “Hi.”

  “What kind of adventures are you having down there?” Rylie asked, lowering herself to the floor.

  “I was being chased by the cops so I went into this tunnel and hit a wall.”

  “Was my foot the wall?”

  The little boy nodded. “Yes. But I don’t think they saw me come in here.”

  “That’s probably a good thing. It’s dark under there so you’re probably safe. Why were you running from the cops?”

  “Robbed a bank.”

  “Ohhhhh. So, I should probably turn you in, huh?”

  The boy wrinkled his forehead and pursed his lips as though he were in deep thought. “I’ll share the money with you if you don’t,” he said.

  Rylie burst out laughing. “Since you seem like a good kid, I’ll let it slide this time.”

  He smiled and said, “Thanks, lady.”

  “Marshall! What are you doing?” A woman, Rylie assumed was his mother, came bustling over to them.

  Marshall’s eyes got as big as saucers. He’d been caught. “I gotta go,” he said in a rush and started squirming out from under the seat.

  The woman picked him off the floor and looked down at Rylie. “I’m so sorry. I was on the phone and wasn’t watching him as closely as I should’ve been.”

  Rylie waved her off and shook her head. “No, don’t be. He was good company. I had to leave my little boy home with my husband and I’m missing his energy. Marshall is very entertaining.”

  “I’m glad someone thinks so,” the woman said, with a laugh. “We’ll let you get back to your book. Thank you for being so understanding.”

  “Of course. Thank you for visiting me, Marshall.”

  Marshall waved his car at her as his mom carried him back to their seats.

  Rylie smiled as she watched them walk away and her heart fell. Her interaction with little Marshall made her miss Alex even more. Standing up, she touched her phone screen to check the time. It was almost three thirty in the morning. They’d be boarding soon. She grabbed the bag that held the books and walked over to the coffee shop. She knew she would have time for coffee before the boarding call.

  Fighting the urge to search Facebook for more faces from the past, Rylie walked over to the large airport windows and looked out onto the tarmac as she sipped her coffee. As she watched planes take off and land she thought about her life.

  She left home right after graduation and went to New York, where she waited tables at a little café while she attended NYU. It was only twenty hours or so a week but it helped supplement what the scholarship she’d won didn’t cover. She met Spencer in a finance class in the middle of her Freshman year. She hated the class and knew she was destined to fail. Desperate for help, she took note of who had the top scores and reached out to Spencer one afternoon when she saw him reading in the dining hall.

  Remembering the look on his face when she plopped down across from him made her laugh now, but had caused her anxiety to go through the roof back then. He’d made it very apparent she was not welcome with one irritated look. It definitely wasn’t love at first sight. After getting through that first rocky conversation, she convinced him to tutor her. As they spent more time together, the way he looked at her changed. He’d gone from being aggravated with the obligation he created for himself to asking her to join him during lunch to discuss class and eventually dinners so they could enjoy each other’s company. By the end of that first year, they started dating. It was strange for her to think how much he loathed her in the beginning and now neither could imagine life without the other.

  The call to board her final flight to Boise broke her from her reverie. She watched as people crowded towards the gate before tossing her empty coffee cup into a nearby waste bin and walking over to join the queue. Little Marshall and his family were several people ahead of her. He still had his escape car in his hand and was dragging it across the queue barriers making roaring engine noises. Rylie laughed softly to herself.

  Taking her seat by the window, she took the book she’d started out of the bookstore bag and found the spot she’d been taken from in the airport. Just as she got comfortable, someone sat next to her in the middle seat.

  “Hey, watcha’ reading? Is it any good?”

  Taking a deep breath, Rylie turned to her neighbor and smiled. “So far it has been, but I keep getting interrupted.” She regretted being so abrupt the moment it came out of her mouth.

  The man sitting next to her leaned away from her in surprise and said, “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to interrupt, ma’am.”

  “No, don’t apologize. I’m sorry. I’m just tired and running out of energy. And patience, I guess.”

  “I get it. You go back to your book. I promise to stay out of your bubble.” The man winked and turned to look at the front of the plane.

  Rylie closed the book. Turning to him she asked, “So, where are you headed?”

  The man looked over at her and slowly answered, “Uh, Boise. And you?”

  “Same. Are you going home?”

  He nodded and said “Yes, ma’am. My oldest daughter just had her first baby. I can’t wait to see the little pigeon in person. She’s a beauty!”

  “How nice. What did they name her?”

  “They named her Rose, after my late wife.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry! I mean, about your wife. The name is beautiful.”

  The man chuckled. “Thank you. She’s been gone a few years. Hard to believe she’ll never get to meet her grandkids.”

  “Oh,” Rylie whispered. Her heart plummeted to her stomach.

  “Sad, I know,” he said, nodding. “But she can still admire them from up above and protect them as they grow up.”

  “That’s a nice way to think about it.”

  “Do you have any kids?”

  “I do. I have the most wonderful little boy. His name is Alex.”

  “Are you going home to him?”

  “No, unfortunately. I just left him. The woman who raised me is in the hospital and I’m headed there to help care for her.”

  “Well, it’s my turn to say I’m sorry.”

  “Thank you.”

  “She raised you in Boise or elsewhere?”

  “Close to. We lived in New Plymouth. They still do.”

  “Where about do you live now?”

  “New York.”

  “That’s a big change.”

  “It was,” Rylie said, nodding. “But I love it.”

  “How long have you been gone?”

  “Twenty years.”

  The man stared at her, his eyebrows lowering.

  “I know. Crazy,” she said, blushing a little.

  “That’s more than crazy. You haven’t seen the woman who raised you in twenty years?”

  “No, I’ve seen her,” Rylie said, bristling a bit. She was getting tired of having to explain herself to strangers today. “Several times a year. I fly her and her husband to New York. They usually spend a couple weeks with us before going back home.”

  He cocked his head to the side and said, “Uh huh.”

  “I do.”

  “Oh, I believe you. I just don’t understand is all.”

  “You don’t understand what, exactly?”

  “Why the road doesn’t go both ways. Why not go see them. You look to be in your mid-thirties, so they’ve got to be getting on in years. You should show them they are just as important to you as you are to them.”

  Rylie’s blush deepened. “They are some of the most important people in my life.”

  “Then why not make an effort to go visit them?”

  Rylie exhaled and said, “There’s more for them in New York.”

  “If that were true, they wouldn’t still be living in that tiny old town.”

  A crease formed between Rylie’s eyes and she looked away from the man. Had she been so selfish she hadn’t taken how they felt into consideration? She was sure they would’ve told her if they’
d wanted her to visit. They would have said something. Turning back to the man she said, “They like to visit us.”

  “Of course, they do. Wouldn’t you if it were the only way to see someone you loved?”

  Rylie looked down at her hands.

  “I’m sorry if I offended you. It’s what I do best, putting my foot in my mouth. I just don’t think people always take the time to think about how other people feel. Assuming someone wants to do something, doesn’t make it true. Have you ever asked them?”

  She looked back at him and said, “I will.”

  He nodded and then rested his head against the seat and closed his eyes.

  Rylie looked down at her book and forced herself to open it. It took her a bit to shake off the conversation and lose herself in the story of the four friends. As she got further along, she started to realize she’d never experienced anything like the women in the story. She stopped reading and thought about the only girlfriend she ever had. Madison. Maddie for short. The other girls in school never seemed to like Rylie much. She grew closer to Maddie in junior high and they became almost inseparable throughout their remaining years in school. She and Maddie lost touch after she moved away.

  Rylie felt an emptiness settle in her stomach. For the first time in years she thought about Maddie and the friendship that helped get her through school.

  April 1987

  Rylie was giggling with Maddie as they hurried down the corridor from the locker rooms toward gym class. It was their least favorite class because they both hated getting dressed and get sweaty playing games they didn’t care about. And to make things worse, it was co-ed.

  “Ladies, you’re late. Again,” Mr. Stillwell said, as they burst through the doors into the gym.

  “Sorry, Mr. Stillwell,” they said in unison. Rylie caught Maysen’s eye and smiled. He rolled his eyes at her as he shook his head and laughed.

  “Ok. Now that everyone is here,” Mr. Stillwell said, pausing to look pointedly at the two latecomers. “We will divide into four teams. Half-court basketball today. Team captains are Maysen, John, Kathy and Lyn. Picking teams in that order. Let’s go.”