by Kasie West
“It’s just part of being married.”
“It doesn’t have to be. Not the way you guys do it. Just please.” I pushed the box into his hands. “Think of a nice way to give it to her. You have to try, Dad.”
“I do try.” His voice became defensive like he was about to launch into a speech about how it wasn’t his fault.
I put my hand on his arm to stop him. “I know. Just do this. For me.”
He opened the box and looked at the offering. Then his eyes shot to me in surprise. “How much did this cost?”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s the thought that matters. That’s what she’ll appreciate.”
He closed the box slowly. “Okay, Maddie. I’ll give this to her. We’ll see if it helps.”
“Thank you.”
“I take it you really don’t have anything to show me about your car.”
“No. I’ve not discovered any secret buttons that launch missiles or spit fire.”
He gave me a half smile. “Too bad. That would’ve been amazing.”
“Oh, wait. Have I shown you this button?” I pushed the button that lowered the screen in the dash, revealing the storage compartment. “Tell me that’s not cool?”
“And yet you’ve hidden nothing impressive behind there.”
“And now I’ve shown it to you, so I’ll never be able to. I really didn’t think that one through.”
He laughed and let himself out of the car. I leaned my head back against the seat. I needed this to work. I climbed out of the car and stopped by the mailbox. There was nothing for me. If I got my final acceptance letters, I would feel so much better.
It was 7:00 p.m. My house was quiet. That meant that either my parents weren’t home or they weren’t speaking to each other. I closed my eyes and tried to let go of my thoughts. Why did I always have to worry so much about other people’s problems? Why couldn’t I just leave it all behind, go to Stanford with Blaire, and let things happen or not happen by themselves?
My phone buzzed on the desk with an incoming call. It was a number I didn’t recognize. I let it buzz until it stopped. The penny Seth had found and gifted to me sat next to my phone. I picked it up and turned it over in my hand. It hadn’t really brought me much luck. Maybe I was using it wrong. I rubbed it, then laughed at myself. It wasn’t a genie lamp. I sighed and put it back down.
My phone buzzed again. Same number.
I picked it up this time. “Hello.”
“Maddie Parker?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“This is Paul Wendell. Your contractor.”
“My contractor?”
“You’re Beau’s sister, right?”
“Yes … ”
“The second payment is due on the work I’ve done.”
I wasn’t following this conversation. “Okay. Don’t you have his number?”
“I’ve tried his number. He’s not calling me back. Your name is on the contract. One of you needs to pay me.”
“I didn’t sign anything. How is my name on a contract?”
“I’m not sure, but I’m here at the condo. I’ll be waiting.”
“How much does he owe you?”
“Thirty thousand.”
Thirty thousand. Beau had that. I’d given him a million. There was no way he’d blown it all already. Was it even possible to blow a million dollars in less than two months? How much had he paid for the condo?
“Hello?” Paul said.
“Oh, sorry. I … I need to talk to my brother.”
“Well, someone needs to get here now and pay me or I’m removing all the installations I’ve done to try to recoup my labor costs.”
“Okay. I’ll be there in thirty minutes.” I hung up and immediately dialed my brother’s number. He didn’t answer. I sent him a text. Call me!!!
Ten minutes passed and my phone didn’t deliver any messages from my brother. I paced my room. What was I supposed to do? Pay off his debts again? Maybe he hadn’t realized the bill was due. He’d pay me back.
I left my room to search for my parents. There was no way I was going to his condo alone to meet up with some strange guy I didn’t know. But my parents weren’t home. I started to call my dad, but stopped myself. My parents were already fighting about Beau and his money situation. Did I really need to give them something else to fight about? My eyes found the penny on my desk again and I dialed a different number.
“Hello?” His voice alone calmed some of the anxious nerves I was feeling.
“Seth?”
“That or some other guy is answering my phone now.”
I smiled. “I need your help.”
“Anything.” He said it in a dramatic fashion.
“Can you come with me to meet up with a stranger and drop off a bill for my brother?”
“Is this a back-alley drug deal?”
“If only.”
He laughed. “Sure. Do you want to pick me up or should I pick you up?”
I thought about my car, the one I wouldn’t be able to explain, that was parked in the garage right now. The place my dad had insisted I start parking after I’d brought it home. “Can you pick me up?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you.”
I wrote out a check, sealed it in an envelope, then went outside to wait on the porch. Seth arrived fifteen minutes later. He gave a playful beep of the horn when he saw me.
“You’re going to love me,” he said when I climbed in.
Already on my way there, I thought. Don’t give me more reasons. “Why?” was the only thing I said.
“I brought my mom’s Yorkie for you to play with.” He reached behind my seat and pulled out a little ball of brown-and-black fur. I immediately reached for the dog and pulled it against my chest.
The dog stretched his head up and started licking my chin as his tail beat against my arm over and over. “Aww. You’re right, I do love you.”
“Thank you,” Seth said.
“I was talking to the dog.” I buckled my seat belt. “What’s her name? His name?” I lifted the dog to check.
“Her,” he said.
“Yes. That’s correct.”
He laughed. “Her name is Quinn.”
“Hello, Quinn. You are the most adorable thing in the world.”
“More adorable than Heeboo?” Seth asked.
“Shhh.” I pushed the hand that wasn’t holding Quinn against the side of Seth’s face. “We don’t compare around here.”
He laughed again. “You are the cutest.”
“Are you talking to me or to the dog?” I asked.
“The dog, of course.”
I set the dog in my lap and met Seth’s eyes. “Thank you, by the way. For coming.”
“I’m glad you thought of me to help. How many friends did you try before finding one to respond?”
“I … no … um … ”
“Wow, how far down the list was I? You can’t even remember.”
“I remember,” I said, then held my phone out for him. “This is the address.”
He looked at my phone and the map I had up on it. “Got it.” He pulled onto the road.
“This would be a good plot in one of your stories,” I said. “The one with the messed-up adult. Or almost-adult.”
“What do you mean? Is your brother in some kind of trouble?”
“I don’t know. Maybe … probably. Money trouble. He’s always in money trouble it seems.”
“Everyone has problems. There is no judgment here.”
“Please. Judge away. I would if I were in your shoes.”
“I don’t think that’s true.” Out of the corner of my eye I saw his hand move my way, and then, as if he changed his mind, it was back on the steering wheel again.
As the car got closer to our destination, I was even happier that Seth had brought the dog. She was curled up in my lap and I was petting her over and over. She was the perfect distraction for my nerves.
“I know I wasn’t … I mean last time I … when we
were in the tunnel … I’m sorry I … ” Why couldn’t I just spit it out? I was a jerk and scared and …
“What about last time?” Seth asked, his eyes on the road. “I was telling you a funny story. It was supposed to make you laugh. I think I should be apologizing for making things weird.”
“No, you don’t need to apologize.”
“Is everything better with your friends? You had been in a fight with them last time.”
I sighed. “No. Not really. Hopefully we can work it out. We always have in the past.”
“I’m sure you will.”
I nodded.
“Is this it?” he asked as he parked next to a white truck with the words Wendell Construction on the side.
“This is it.”
We got out of the car. Seth took the dog from me and let her down on a patch of grass. The front door of the condo was open and I knocked on it. “Hello!” I called out.
“Back here,” a voice said.
I gripped the envelope to my chest and glanced over my shoulder. Seth scooped up the dog and tucked her under his arm. The dog looked tiny there and I smiled at how sweet Seth looked holding her. He joined me on the porch.
I pushed the door open farther and stepped inside. It was definitely a construction zone. Walls were in various stages of repair, pipes and wires were exposed, wood and drywall sat in piles on the ground. But I could see the vision. Beau was going for an open concept, with vaulted ceilings reaching all the way to a second-floor landing area, where a bed was visible through black metal railing. The kitchen was at the back of the room. A man stood assembling (or maybe disassembling, according to his phone threats) handles on gray cabinetry. A large, cage-looking light fixture hung over an island.
The man, Paul I assumed, wiped his hands on his pants and turned to face us.
“You have my money?” was his greeting.
I held up the envelope. “Can I see the bill? And I’ll need a receipt.”
He seemed put out by my request, mumbling about how he already gave Beau a bill detailing the work. But he dug through a bag on the island, then pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.
“Cute dog,” he said to Seth as he handed me the paper.
“Yeah, thanks,” Seth said.
For whatever reason the statement about the dog made me trust the guy more. I looked over the detailed bill. I could see the things around the room that it referred to—the new cabinetry, light fixtures, electrical, and on and on. I handed Paul the envelope.
He opened it immediately and looked at the check. “If this bounces, we’re done.”
“It’s good,” I said.
He nodded, then went back to the island and wrote me out a receipt. Then he cleaned up his stuff. Seth raised his eyebrows at me, then pointed his chin at the dog.
“Yes, please,” I said.
He placed Quinn in my arms. I immediately kissed her head and continued to observe Paul until he’d packed everything and left the house. I was finally able to breathe.
Seth turned a big circle in the room, looking up at the exposed pipes in the ceiling that made the room feel industrial in a cool way.
“This is pretty amazing,” he said. “This is your brother’s place?”
“Yes.” I walked over to the window and looked outside. The view out there was just as cool—a big courtyard patio with a fireplace and fountain.
I checked my phone again but there was no missed call from Beau. I pointed to the stairs. “Can you just … give me a second?” I asked Seth.
“Of course.”
I placed Quinn on the ground to stretch out her legs and I bounded up the stairs. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. Proof that my brother was making smart choices? Something that told me everything would be okay? But I only found the opposite in the form of a stack of casino receipts on his nightstand. I was going to kill him.
Seth was sitting on my brother’s expensive-looking couch when I came back down.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
Everything was not okay, but I sucked up my anger and shrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t get ahold of my brother. Do you mind … can we wait here for a little while?”
“Sure.”
“You don’t have to wait with me. You can leave. My brother will give me a ride home when he gets here. I just—”
“Maddie, it’s fine. I’ll wait with you.”
“Okay. Thank you.” I sat down on the couch next to him. “Where did Quinn go?”
He pointed to the corner of the room where the dog had found one of my brother’s tennis shoes and was sleeping on it. I smiled. “I want a dog.”
“You don’t have one? I thought you, the animal lover, would have five dogs.”
“They’re an added expense and my parents couldn’t afford one. And my dad’s allergic to cats. So yes, we are an animal-free house. Another reason why I love working at the zoo.”
“Another reason? Aren’t the animals your only reason?” His dark eyes challenged me.
“Well, there’s the train ride and carousel, too. We can’t forget those.”
He smiled and I bit my bottom lip, containing my own smile.
A metal nut was on the floor by my foot and I picked it up, then looked around the room.
“Are you trying to figure out where it came from?” Seth asked.
“Yes. It’s so random. Is there a bolt around here missing a nut or does Mr. Paul Where Is My Money Wendell just walk around with spares in his pockets?”
Seth held out his hand and I placed the nut there. He studied it. “A game?” he asked, meeting my eyes again.
“Find the bolt it belongs to?” I asked.
“Yep. First one to find it wins.”
“Wins what?”
“To be determined.”
“Deal.” I snatched the nut from his hand and jumped up before he did. I went straight for the metal handrailing on the stairs and examined each and every rail. Seth went for the kitchen and was pulling open drawers and looking at the back side of all the handles.
Quinn, who must’ve sensed the increased energy in the room, was now up and running circles around the couch. Seth hopped up on the counter and turned the large, cage-like chandelier in a circle as he searched all sides of it. I joined him back downstairs and checked the underside of the coffee table. There was a bolt there, but it already had a nut attached.
I glanced at Seth, then moved to my back and slid under the table. I started slowly unscrewing it.
“What are you doing?” His feet were to my left.
I untied his shoe and went back to unscrewing the nut. “Nothing.”
“Are you cheating?”
I laughed. “I just want to see if it fits.”
“You are totally cheating.” He took me by my feet and pulled me out from under the table. Quinn liked this game and jumped on my hair and started licking my face. Seth dropped to his knees and tickled my sides. “I didn’t know I was playing with a cheater.”
I laughed and grabbed hold of his wrists, pulling them away from me.
He sat back, breaking the contact, and draped his arms over his knees. We both were breathing heavy and had lingering smiles on our faces.
“What did I win?” I asked.
“I won by default.”
I sat up. “Okay, what do you win then?”
The smile slid off his face and he took a deep breath, his shoulders rising and falling with it.
“Seth,” I said, petting the dog, who’d flopped on the floor in front of me.
“Yes?”
I was braver when I wasn’t staring into his eyes. “You were the first person I called tonight.”
“Maddie,” he said, just as quiet.
“Yes?”
“It wasn’t just a story I told to make you laugh.”
I looked at him and that’s when I heard keys at the front door turning in the lock. I jumped up. “I’ll be right back.”
Before my brother could let himself in, I opene
d the door and pushed him out, joining him on the porch and shutting the door behind us.
“Maddie?” Beau asked, complete confusion on his face.
“I tried to call you.”
“I noticed.”
“And yet you didn’t call me back? Beau, that’s not cool.”
He sighed. “I didn’t need a lecture.”
“You just needed someone to pay your bills?”
“I didn’t ask you to pay my bills. I would’ve paid Paul.”
“Really? Because you were avoiding his calls as well. Tell me you still have money. That you haven’t sunk it all into this condo and gambling.”
Beau frowned. “I didn’t realize when I accepted a gift from you that it meant you got to control my life.”
“It didn’t.”
“Well, then stop acting like you are now the queen of the family. Like money made you all-powerful. Why did you let this turn you so self-righteous?”
I swallowed hard, tears immediately stinging my eyes. I held them back. “I didn’t. It’s just when you write my name on contracts with lenders, then I get to have an opinion. You dragged me into this, Beau, not the other way around.”
For the first time since he’d arrived, he looked ashamed. “Yeah. They needed a second name. I didn’t think they’d use it.”
“I don’t know that I believe that.”
“Believe what you want.”
“Are you in debt, Beau?” I demanded.
“I own this condo, debt-free. If I need money I’ll sell it.”
“You’ll sell it … ” I said, something coming to me.
“That’s what I said.”
“What else would you sell for money?”
His face scrunched up in confusion. “What? I don’t know. I could sell anything I own really.”
“Like my story?”
“Your story?”
“How much did that journalist pay you?”
“This again? I didn’t talk to a journalist, Maddie. You’ve gotten paranoid.” He pushed by me and through the front door.
I followed after him, not sure if I believed him. But what else did I have at that point but his word?
Seth stood by the island in the kitchen, holding Quinn.
“Who are you?” Beau asked.
“This is my friend Seth.”
“Seth. Oh, from the phone. Are you here to boss me around, too?”
