“A guy would have to be psycho to put up with you.”
Put up with me? That was just mean. She went to slap him—impetuous and hasty, not like her at all, but she wasn’t quick enough.
He grabbed her hand midair and brushed her fingers across his lips. Dropping them, he said, “MJ Moore.”
In shock, she muttered, “Why did you do that?” His actions were far hastier than hers. She stared down at her quivering fingers, willing them to stop. Her mind was a jumble of emotions. With his irritating words, she had been sure he wasn’t interested in her, but he had kissed her fingers. A player, that’s what he was. Her eyes narrowed. “Just leave me alone.”
“Sure,” he said with a shrug, “but if you want, I’m performing at the Rat Rogue tonight at 8:00.” With that, he turned and jogged off.
MJ, she mused, deep in thought, must stand for ‘Major Jerk.’
An on-campus open-mike, at the Rat, anybody could say literally anything they wanted to say. She’d been there a few times. The students that got up usually were there to vent—politically. Most of it was pretty interesting, some of it was outlandish, but all of it was entertaining. Half of the students read poetry—their own or someone else’s, and a few students brought their guitars and sang. That was the part she liked. She decided to go to the Rat for that, not to see MJ, really, but for all the other entertainment. And this time, she was not alone, but had finagled Mary to come along with her, figuring there was safety in numbers.
She sat way in the back, close to the exit. Glancing down at her watch, she realized she had about thirty minutes to change her mind and leave. She looked around, but couldn’t see MJ anywhere. He’s probably backstage, she thought.
Mary nudged her. “I can’t see from way back here. Let’s move up closer.”
“Um, no, let’s not.”
Mary stood. “You can stay here if you want, but I’m moving up there.” She pointed to an open table in the front.
“Oh, alright.” Karen grumbled all the way to the front, and sat with her back to the stage, but the acts were so good, that she turned her chair to watch, forgetting all about MJ. The guy onstage at the moment was hilarious, and he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Mary. In all fairness, Mary was cute—super short, but cute. When his act was over, he came right down to their table, and that was it for Karen’s night out with Mary. After a few minutes, Mary left with him.
Great, thought Karen. And this is where I leave. But before she could stand up, the lights went down, and MJ stepped onto the stage.
He held a guitar in his hands and seemed nervous. It was endearing, in a weird sort of way. Who didn’t have a soft spot for scared performers? He sat on the stool and stared out into the audience—like a deer in the headlights. Oh dang, now I’m really going to feel sorry for him.
Finally, he spoke. “Um, this is for . . . well, let me back up, first. My mother recently passed on.” There wasn’t a sound in the room. “And, uh, this song, is for her.” He hefted the guitar closer and strummed, soft at first, but with each stroke, stronger and more determined, and then he began to hum and finally to sing.
The words filled the lounge with deep resonance. Students clapped and swayed to his alluring melody and mesmerizing lyrics about a mother who had left her son long ago, his anguish, then bitterness, and finally resolution. It was a crowd pleaser and a show stopper—the students stood and applauded for minutes after, while in complete and utter shock, Karen sat in a daze.
Was this library boy? Annoying, library boy? Which just goes to show that you can’t judge a boy, by his, uh, books, she thought amused. Okay, maybe she could at least be his friend.
And they did become friends. Karen discovered he was actually a lot of fun, but when Todd returned from the wedding—everything went south. He seemed really distant. “What’s going on with you, Todd?”
He pulled her near. “Nothing.” Still there was a strange look in his eye—a look that she couldn’t tie down.
A few months later, MJ took her aside. “Hey, friends help friends, right?” He seemed troubled about something.
“Yes, what are you talking about MJ?”
He shifted his weight from one leg to the other. “Uh, never mind.”
This ‘game’ went on for weeks, until finally, MJ came clean. “Look, Karen, I think you should know that Todd is,” he made a face, “well, he’s cheating on you.”
“Yeah, right, MJ,” she said. She trusted Todd with her life and her heart. When MJ didn’t take back what he said, she frowned. “Cut it out.”
MJ paced the room. “I tried really hard to forget about it, but I just couldn’t.”
“Forget about what?”
“Well,” he began. “I was at the Rat a few weeks ago, and he was there with someone else.”
She shrugged. She and Todd were not glued at the hip. They often went places without the other. “So?”
“No, Karen, it wasn’t like that. They were sitting kind of close.”
She made a face. “Yeah, right.” He must have seen it all wrong.
He pursed his lips. “Okay, I thought you wouldn’t believe me, so I did this.” He unfolded a picture and pushed it toward her.
She shook her head. What kind of lame game was MJ playing? She and Todd were close to marriage, as close as any couple on campus.
Marriage was a significant commitment, and one they would take soon enough. He wanted to finish his doctorate first and that was fine by her. She had no doubt about Todd’s love.
She reached forward and took the picture. Though the room was dark, the picture was clear. Todd’s lips were pressed against the lips of someone else, and it wasn’t Karen. The picture slipped from her fingers, and she ran from the room.
Karen snapped back to the present, a dull ache gnawing at her insides. In a way, MJ had saved her a lot of heartache by taking that picture and showing it to her. It explained Todd’s cooled-off attitude toward her, but shattered her heart in the process. She guessed that’s why she got so angry at MJ, too. If she hadn’t known about it and went on like everything was alright, maybe Todd would have come around. But who was she kidding? She lost him a long time ago, right after he returned from LA.
Bruce came back from his deliveries. It was perfect timing. She really needed to get away. “So, I’m going to take off, if that’s okay.”
“Sure, thanks for your help. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yes, I’ll be here.” She opened the door and left. Gwen had let her use one of their cars. She backed out and drove to the parking lot exit. Waiting for a couple cars to pass, she spotted MJ coming out of the grocery store with a bag in each arm. It wasn’t a far walk to the Blethen House, but still, she felt bad. He really was concerned about her after all and he had come all the way from England to talk to her. She pulled up beside him and beeped the horn. “Get in. I’ll drive you to the hotel.”
It was a short drive and didn’t take but five minutes. “Okay, you win. Take your groceries in and come back here. We’ll have the talk you came across the ocean to give me.” While he was in the hotel, a jeep pulled up beside her.
“Hi, Karen.” Elle looked at her funny then gestured to the hotel. “What are you doing here?” She frowned. “Oh, Karen. You’re not thinking of staying here.”
“No.”
“Good.” Elle tilted her head. “Then, why are you here?”
“I had a surprise visitor.”
Elle’s eyes widened. “Todd?”
Karen sighed. “No, a friend from England. Well, he’s not from England, but that’s where I met him.” Right then, MJ came up to the car. He thrust his hands in his pockets and waited. “Oh, sorry, Elle, this is MJ Moore. MJ, this is my best friend, Elle.”
MJ shifted his weight from one leg to the next. “Hey, Karen, we can talk later.”
Elle looked at him funny. “Oh, no, that’s okay. Uh, hey, why don’t you come out to the cabin? Grammie is making her famous stew, and we’d love to have you.”
He studied Karen’s surprised face. “No, that’s okay. Thanks, anyway.”
“No, it’s alright,” Karen said. “I’m on my way out there right now. Get in, and we’ll talk while I drive.”
“Great. I’ll see you guys out there.” Elle waved goodbye and drove off.
“Listen Karen, I didn’t come here to barge in on anyone. We can talk, and I’ll return to my room.”
She thought on that and couldn’t find any good reason why he shouldn’t come to dinner at the cabin. “No, I want you to meet Grammie Gwen and eat her delicious food. It’s better than whatever it is that you bought at the grocery store, I’m sure.”
He smirked. “Bologna, cheese, chips, and cookies.”
She laughed. “Right. Get in.” They pulled onto Main Street.
“This is a cute town.” MJ pointed at a church with a bell tower and large bell.
“Cute? By what standards?”
“I’m from LA, remember?” He grinned. “You are too, right?”
She nodded and then pointed to the stop sign in front of them. “Did you notice?” She turned to him and smirked.
“You mean the lack of traffic signals?”
“Yeah—what a rush, huh?”
“Especially compared to LA,” he said smugly. “It’s like going back in time here.”
“No kidding.” Cute did fit it. Cute, and small, and unimposing—a perfect New England town. “The lake is out this way. You’re going to love it.”
“Yeah, I’m sure I will.” They were silent for a few minutes, and then MJ spoke up. “Your friend seems nice.”
“Elle? Yep, she’s wicked nice.”
“Have you known her for a while?”
“Years . . . we’ve been best friends since third grade.”
“Oh?” he asked curiously.
“Elle’s family is from California, too. That’s where I met her. But her grandmother is from Maine—that’s the connection here.” She paused. “That, and her fiancé. He’s from here, too.”
“When are they getting married?”
“In late November.”
He glanced out the window. After a while, he spoke up. “I really like it here. It reminds me somewhat of England.”
“Are you going back to the UK?”
“Not right away. I’m going home to LA for a bit first.”
“Oh.” She pulled into the long driveway. “Maybe I’ll see you back there.”
“Really, why? I thought you were going to stay here.”
“I am, but Elle’s wedding is going to be in LA.” She pulled down the long driveway to the cabin. “Here we are. Come on in and meet the rest of the family.” Another vehicle pulled in behind them. “Oh, that’s Elle’s fiancé.”
He sat forward. “Sam.”
She looked at him curiously. “How did you know his name?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “You must have mentioned it before.”
“I guess.” She waved for Sam to come over. “Hey, I want you to meet a friend of mine.” Sam offered his hand, and MJ shook it. “This is MJ Moore. I know him from college.”
Sam seemed preoccupied. “Glad to meet you.” He glanced around them. “Where’s Elle?”
Karen shrugged. “Her jeep is here, so she must be inside.”
Sam held his finger to his lips. ““Shh! I have another surprise for her—a major surprise.” He walked over to his car, opened the door, and then hoisted Sally onto his hip. Sound asleep, she fell against his shoulder. “She’s a week early.”
It was the first time Karen had seen Sally in person, though she had seen lots of pictures. “Oh, my heck. She is adorable.” She forgot all about MJ and followed Sam up the steps. Turning, she gestured for MJ to follow, though he seemed quite at ease standing in the driveway studying the house. It was odd, but maybe he was just uncomfortable meeting strangers. Right, she thought with a smirk—library boy—uncomfortable meeting people. She gestured for him to follow her into the house.
Sam snuck into the living room and laid the little girl on the couch. Grammie Gwen almost blew it with her Grammie-exuberance, but Sam shook his head. “Shh. It’s a surprise.” Gesturing for them to follow, he went into the kitchen. “She is going to love it.”
“Love what?” Elle said, coming up behind them.
“Me,” Sam said, with a grin.
“Silly,” she said, kissing him. She glanced over and saw MJ who had just entered the cabin. “Oh, have you met Karen’s friend?”
“Yes. We met outside.”
“Hey, Grammie, this is the guy I was telling you about.”
“Hello,” Gwen said. She studied him for a moment. “Welcome to our home, MJ. Okay everyone, dinner’s ready. So, why don’t we take a seat?”
“Don’t you think you should set another plate?” Sam said, wryly.
“Oh, goodness,” Gwen said, apologetically. “Oh, wait, I set one for MJ earlier, when Elle told me he was coming.” Sam gave her an odd look. “Oh, right. Of course.” She went to the kitchen and returned with a smaller plate, and then she set it on the table beside Elle’s place.
Elle drew her head back. “Who’s that for?”
A light shuffling came across the floor, and a very tired voice called out, “Mommy!”
Elle’s mouth dropped open. She squealed and threw her arms around Sally. She looked up at Sam through teary eyes.
Sally rubbed her sleepy eyes. “Mommy, guess what? I got to come early this time.”
Sharing Sally with her birth mother, Nancy, was hard at first, but as the months went by, these surprise visits along with the planned ones made everything just perfect. Elle swung her around and then sat her on her lap. “I’m so happy.”
After the meal, Sam helped with the dishes. MJ and Karen had gone outside on the porch.
“How well do you know Karen’s friend?” Sam asked, placing a clean plate in the cupboard.
Elle shrugged. “I just met him.”
“Has she mentioned him before?”
“No, not really. I mean, I knew she had met a guy at school that kind of helped her through her breakup with Todd.”
“Hmm.”
“Why do you ask?” She handed him another plate.
“I don’t know. I can’t put my finger on it, but he seems familiar.”
“He’s from LA, so it’s doubtful you would have ever run into him before.”
“Yep, you’re right.” He wiped the table off. “He probably just reminds me of a former student at UMO, but I don’t know, Elle, there’s something about him that I don’t like.”
“Really? I don’t know what. He seems nice enough.”
“Yes, you’re probably right.”
She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. “I usually am.”
Outside on the porch, Karen pointed to the lake. “Gorgeous, huh?”
“Yeah, it’s okay.”
Sally bounded up the steps. A cool wind brought a sudden downpour chasing behind it. “These are for Mommy.” She thrust a handful of dandelions toward Karen.
“She’s going to love them,” Karen said, tousling her hair. Sally skipped into the house.
“How old is she?”
“Seven, I think. She’s quite a smart little girl—reads like someone much older than she is.” Karen breathed in deep. “Mmm, I love how rain smells.”
“It’s just rain, Karen.” MJ made a face. “Elle doesn’t seem old enough to have a daughter her age.”
“Oh, she didn’t give birth to her, but she did raise her.”
“Really.”
“Yes, for five years, she was the only mother Sally knew.”
“Weird.”
“No, well, yes, it was really weird. Sheriff Snyder abducted Elle. Didn’t I ever tell you this?”
He nodded. “Months ago.”
She was quiet for a moment. “It was horrible, what she experienced at the hands of that maniac.” She gestured to Elle through the window. “At least he’s on death row. He killed a sher
iff you know. That moratorium won’t save a cop killer.”
MJ grunted. “No, I guess not.”
A rumble and a flash of lightning lit the dark sky. Drawing her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them. “Don’t you just love storms?”
He rolled his eyes. “You’re weird.”
She had forgotten that part of him. While he probably thought he was clever and witty, he was just rude and obnoxious. “It’s not weird to like storms,” she snapped. Yawning, she glanced down at her watch. “Wow. I had no idea it was that late. Your flight is tomorrow morning, right?”
“Yep. The taxi is picking me up at 8:00 am.”
“I can take you there tomorrow, MJ,” she said, but when he waved her off, she added, “Okay. Come on, I’ll drive you back to the hotel.”
In the kitchen, Karen grabbed her purse and rummaged through it for her keys. Outside, a series of rumbles and flashes intensified the dark sky. She glanced out the window and groaned.
“Why doesn’t he just stay here? One of us can take him into town in the morning,” Elle said.
Karen turned to MJ, and he frowned. “Come on MJ—it’s horrible outside right now.” A loud clap of thunder confirmed her words. “Just stay here, and early tomorrow, I’ll—” but before she could finish the sentence, Sam interrupted her.
“It’s just a little rain. I’ll take him.”
“My sentiments exactly.” MJ smirked. “Anyhow, my stuff is at the hotel, and I have to pack.”
“Want to go for a ride, girl?” Sam scratched the dog behind the ears. “Elle, I’m taking the jeep,” he called over his shoulder, as he and MJ dashed off the porch into the torrential rain. “Come on girl.” He opened the door and patted the seat. Ginger jumped into the back, while the men scrambled to get out of the pouring rain.
Drenched, Sam drew his hand through his wet hair. “A little rain never hurt anyone.” Starting the jeep, he flipped the wipers to their highest speed. “Where are you staying at?”
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