Finally...One Summer (Just One of the Guys)

by Kristi Pelton

  “Why were you talking about the Audi?”

  “Apparently, your dad made some phone calls and found out it was worth more than what we agreed. He wants to talk to my father.”

  “Will your father be angry?” I didn’t like the thought of losing my car.

  “No. He’ll understand. But he won’t want your dad upset. He won’t want him to see it as a handout.”

  The hair on the back of my neck stood. “A handout?” I asked angrily.

  “Easy.”

  “Is that what it was?”

  “Emma. It wasn’t a handout. It was payment for skinny dipping with me and that awesome kiss. I owed you something.”

  My eyes narrowed and my face contorted into a scowl, then he thrust his body toward me. “I am kidding. Call it what you want. I wanted you to have the car. I know you’ll take care of it.”

  “But my dad is an honest man. We can afford whatever you want. Don’t be…” I couldn’t think of the word. “Patronizing.” I wasn’t sure if that fit.

  He tilted my chin up. “I wouldn’t dream of patronizing you. And you’re dad is a great man. I meant no disrespect by that.”

  “How much do we owe you?”

  The corners of his mouth twisted into a smile and he didn’t answer. “Let’s go.”

  I stopped. “No. Tell me how much we owe?”

  This time he laughed as we stepped onto his deck.

  “Don’t take pity on my family. You asked me yesterday not to judge you but here you are doing the same. We’re not poor not even close. Remember this is our vacation home.”

  He chuckled. “When you get angry, you get the cutest little pucker right between your eyes.” He rubbed the area between my brows like Zach did sometimes.

  I swatted at his hand and my lips pulled together so tight it hurt. “You’re infuriating!” I yelled. “Just take the damn car back.” I didn’t want to lose my car. I turned in the sand to head back toward the fire. His arms suddenly clutched me to his chest from behind.

  “Emma,” he whispered, and I knew the moment my name flowed from his mouth that my feelings for him were more irrational than I realized. I longed for his touch at that moment and tears betrayed me as they pooled in my eyes. He moved in front of me and when his eyes met mine, his silly smile quickly faded. The painstaking expression that slowly contorted his face hurt me more. “You’re crying.” The words puffed out.

  I raised my shoulders high. “You know what.” I wiped the tears as they fell. He took a step away from me. The knife went deeper. “You’ve never made me cry. Grant has. Ryan has. And Zach has. But you’d never…”

  His lungs seemed to inflate and deflate in one long breath.

  “You always make me laugh. But I see how you feel. You don’t believe my family is good enough.” How true it was that I wasn’t good enough. Libby…she was perfect for him.

  His hands restrained me from leaving and his jaw tightened. “That’s not true, Em. Don’t ever say that again. This conversation has gotten totally blown out of proportion.” He frantically rubbed his forehead. “I’m sorry I hurt you. It was not intentional. Forgive me.” With his hand, he brushed away the wetness from my cheeks and his eyes dissected every square inch of my face.

  “Don’t… hurt me.”

  As the words whispered off my lips, I saw the panic and fear in his eyes. The slight insinuation in my words was misinterpreted. “That’s why this shouldn’t happen,” he admitted hesitantly. “I need to stay away from you.

  “Austin. I meant…” A tremor shuddered through my body as my words stopped.

  He instantly removed his sweatshirt and slipped it over my head. His concentrated scent swallowed me up and I was lost in it for a moment.

  “Let’s go in,”

  I stopped him. “Are your parents’ home?” I asked.

  He nodded. “It’s fine. They enjoyed seeing you.”

  I shook my head. “No. Not tonight. I don’t feel much like it.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. I want to lie down. Can we sit out here?”

  He took the next level of deck steps with ease snatching a couple of cushions from a canister setting them in their chairs then patted the seat.

  “Thanks.”

  “You know. I was thinking about the tattoo thing. I know we looked today. But, I can’t do it. I mean, I can…but I won’t do it with you unless your folks say OK.”

  I pursed my lips. “Like that’s gonna happen.”

  “Exactly. I’m not pissin’ your father off.”

  “That was the deal, though.”

  He laughed. “Deal vetoed. I’m sorry, Em.”

  “Man. I’m freezing,” I shivered as the words came out.

  He jogged to the back door and disappeared and I closed my eyes. Within seconds, he was back with a quilt.

  “If you’re tired, why don’t you let me walk you home?”

  “We will in a minute,” I mumbled and nestled into the chair with the breeze blowing through my hair. I fought sleep but didn’t win.

  “Emma?” I heard the voice but only a whimper came from my throat. He touched my cheek and my eyes sprung open at the touch of his icy hand. Austin.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “We both fell asleep. I’m not sure what time it is.”

  As I watched him open his cell phone, I became aware of the chills inside my body—my stomach muscles tightening with each shallow breath.

  “Crap. It’s 1:30,” he said and I was vaguely aware of his words but my eyes couldn’t focus on him.

  “I don’t…I…didn’t…” I didn’t understand the rubbish that rolled off my lips and I heard him chuckle.

  “I think you’re still half asleep.”

  Unless sleep was painful, I wasn’t asleep. My body ached…the hair follicles on my head hurt and my elbows radiated pain into my lower arms. Austin was close and I felt him lift me. As my knees draped over his arm, a dull arthritic sting had taken residence in my joints.

  “Oooww,” I moaned.

  “Em. You’re burning up,” he said as his frosty cheek rested against my forehead.

  I think I dozed in his arms because the moment I hit the cold sheets, I fully awakened.

  “Do you feel OK?”

  There was no energy to respond as chills continued rippling down my spine.“Emma. Listen to me.” He tapped my shoulder. “I’m gonna get you some medicine.” His voice sounded urgent.

  “OK,” I somehow managed to squeak out and he was gone.

  It seemed only a second passed before he was back.

  “Here. Take these.”

  My eyes were unable to focus, but he held out one hand and a glass of water in the other. He sat next to me on the bed.

  “Thank you.” My words were barely audible as I trustingly took the pills he had in his palm and swallowed them. Ow. Swallowing was not a good thing. It wasn’t clear if Austin took the glass from me or how it left my hands, I just know when I lay back down it was gone and I was out.

  A sliver of sunlight ricocheted off a mirror and onto my face. Another sunny day in Cannon and I was sick. Dust particles seemed trapped in the sunray as they spun suspended in air above the bed. It hit me that the sun came in from a different direction and I sat up. Confusion settled over me. Where was I? Austin slept upright on the small leather loveseat. This was his room. I was in his bed. I think my fever had broken and I shoved the black and silver duvet off me. I needed to go to the bathroom and stepped out of bed tripping over my shoes on the floor. He hopped up startled by the commotion.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered my mind spinning from a sudden head rush.

  He moved to my side. “How are you feeling?”

  “Yucky. I think my fever broke. Do my parents know where I am?”

  He nodded. “Yeah.” He rolled his eyes. “Thanks by the way. I went down last night and explained to your father at two in the morning, that you fell asleep here. I offered to sleep at your ho
use, but given that my father was with me, he didn’t make too big of an issue out of it.”

  I had to make my eyes blink. “You’re father?”

  He smiled. “He woke up when I was carrying you to my room. That went over well.” He winked.

  My knees were weak. “Did he know I was sick?”

  “I told him you were drunk.”

  I grinned. “Did you tell him it was his wine that did it?”

  “No. I told him you were a tequila girl.” He ran his fingers through his dark hair, yawning.

  “What did my dad say?”

  Austin fell across the bed, exhausted. “Like I said, he knew it was on the up and up since my father was with me.” He chuckled. “He said that he and your mother were driving into Portland today for some play and spending the night.”

  I lay back on the pillow still needing to pee, our heads touching. “I thought we could spend the night at the cemetery tonight.”

  He ruffled my hair. “We’ll have to see how you feel.”

  I closed my eyes feeling in that moment completely taken care of.

  “Austin Michael Falsone!” The deep baritone voice echoed through the room waking me. Austin and I both popped upright. Mr. Falsone stood in the doorway with irate eyes glowering at his son. His jaw tight and fists clenched. Austin was on his feet stepping away from the bed rubbing his sleepy eyes. I looked away awkwardly.

  “Emma. My apologies for my son’s lapse in judgment and disrespect.”

  Austin glanced at me then lowered his eyes and strode from the room.

  I rose to my feet. “Mr. Falsone. Austin and I were just talking and...I…” I stammered.

  “Please, if you feel like joining us for breakfast, it is being served.” He smiled tightly and left.

  As I circled around the spiral staircase, I saw Mrs. Falsone in the kitchen. My cheeks burned and I wasn’t sure if it was my fever returning or humiliation for being caught doing nothing wrong.

  “Good morning, Emma?”

  “Hi.” I smiled.

  Immediately, I spotted Austin and his father on the deck, angry gestures flying between them. My heart ached. This was my entire fault.

  “Would you like some breakfast, dear?”

  “No thank you. I still don’t feel well.”

  She tilted her head in a sympathetic way. “Why don’t we have Austin drive you home?”

  “No. It’s not far. I can walk,” I insisted.

  “Oh fiddle sticks.” She hurried past me to the back doors. “I will not hear of such a thing.”

  I grinned at her word choice.

  “Boys. Emma needs a ride home,” she ordered.

  Both flipped their heads our way and Austin peered around his mother till his eyes landed on me. He shot me a peace sign, said something to his dad in a low tone then walked toward me.

  “Let’s go,” he grabbed my hand.

  “Son?”

  Though my eyes flashed back toward his father, Austin’s didn’t.

  He assisted me into the Rover. Weak, I didn’t exert the energy to buckle. It was only a block home. Before Austin shut the door, he reclined the electronic seat till I was lying nearly flat.

  “Austin. Why was your dad so angry?” The words hurt coming up my throat.

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Please. Were you fighting because of me? Because I stayed there?”

  He slid his sunglasses on covering his eyes. “Let’s talk about it when you feel better.”

  I let it go, not having the oomph to fight.

  I didn’t feel like even brushing my teeth so I headed straight to bed. The clock read 10 a.m.

  “Hey Emma?”

  “Yea?” I grumbled.

  “Can I come in?” he politely asked.

  “Yes.”

  I squinted at the doorway waiting for his appearance. He held a glass of ice water.

  “I don’t know if Ryan’s in there or not.” He shot his head in the direction of my brother’s room then set the drink on my nightstand.“I’m gonna head home and shower then I’ll be back.”

  I waved. “Just go. You don’t have to babysit me.”

  His frigid hand rubbed across my forehead and down my throat.

  “Great. You’re hot again. I’ll bring back some drugs.”

  It took a few seconds to hear and interpret his words. I began to respond then realized he was gone and I didn’t care.

  Chapter 27—Surprise visit

  “Emma?”

  I strained my eyes trying to open them and Austin stood with more medicine and a bottle of Sprite. His hair was wet. I forced myself upright.

  “Wait. Open, first,” he ordered and I saw that he held a thermometer.

  “Are you kidding?”

  He shook his head. “My mom asked what your temperature was and I didn’t know so I stopped by Family Market and grabbed a few things.”

  “You bought a thermometer?”

  He picked up a sack from the floor and dumped his purchase on my bed. “I got a little bit of everything. I didn’t know what you needed.” He shrugged.

  I took the thermometer and unenthusiastically slid it under my tongue then sorted through the portable pharmacy at my feet. Cold medicine, flu medicine, stomach tablets, cough drops, throat lozenges, nasal sprays and Kleenex. I couldn’t help but grin through my tightened jaw. I glanced at him and rolled my eyes.

  “What?” he asked as my head hit the pillow. “Don’t tell me one of those doesn’t work.” He sat next to me, waited a minute then removed the piece of glass tubing from under my tongue. “Shit! It’s a hundred and three. Take these.”

  I swallowed what he handed me and curled up.

  “What’s your mom’s number?”

  My eyes were closed. “Don’t bother them. This means a lot to my mom…she should enjoy it.”

  I heard him release a breath. “Fine. But you have to go with me to Seaside then.”

  “Austin. I can’t go anywhere.”

  “I want to take you to the Seaside clinic.”

  I brought the pillow across my face. “I am sick. When you’re sick you have a fever then you get better.”

  “You haven’t vomited. You don’t have a cough or a runny nose. So, something’s wrong.”

  I flipped the pillow off. “I’ll make you a deal. If my fever comes back again…I’ll go.” My words sounded slurred.

  He started putting the pharmaceutical items back in their sack, and I guessed he was mulling over my offer. “Deal. Get some rest.”

  I heard the hum of the phone but like anything else today, I didn’t care much. My fever hadn’t broken. My eyes opened long enough to see Austin walk out of the room.

  “Hello?...Hey, Zach. This is Austin.”

  He answered the phone and I tried to listen.

  “I’m answering because Em’s pretty sick.”

  Great.

  “Her folks are gone and I’m kind of hanging out.” He was talking soft. “No, just a temperature and miserable.”

  I closed my eyes and focused on his whispers.

  “Please. You know how stubborn she is. I made a deal that if her fever doesn’t break or comes back I’m taking her to Seaside.”

  He was pacing.

  “No. There’s a clinic there.” There was a long pause. “All right. I’ll tell her when she wakes up. See ya, man.”

  I drifted in and out enough that I didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t. The clock read 2:00 and Austin wasn’t there. I crawled out of bed and headed downstairs. Voices came from the living room.

  When I rounded the corner, he and Ryan were crashed watching TV.

  “Hey, Runt. You feelin better?”

  I couldn’t talk. My throat hurt too badly, so I twisted my flat hand from side to side giving a so-so sign.

  “Let’s go,” Austin said.

  I rolled my eyes walking to the kitchen.

  “A deal’s a deal,” he shouted after me.

  When I came back through, Aust
in stuck his leg up blocking my path. “Get your shoes.”

  Another battle I wasn’t willing to fight. I nodded and headed upstairs.

  This particular trip, I appreciated his speedy driving. The typical short drive was thankfully shorter. There was an approximate hour long wait and the chairs were hard and upright. My lower half took up one seat and my head rested on Austin’s thigh. He ran his fingers through my hair and would occasionally brush my cheek.

  A tiny baby, whose cheeks were beet red, cried in her mother’s arms. I hoped she was seen before me, but I knew they came in after.

  “Emma Hendricks?”

  I opened my eyes to see a male nurse in dinosaur scrubs looking around the room. I raised my index finger to identify myself then lowered it slowly as Austin helped support my weight.

  “You can come if you want.”

  He was apprehensive but nodded and followed.

  After they took my weight, temperature and showed me a room, the nurse left us alone. It wasn’t long before the doctor came in, quickly assessed my illness and ordered a throat swab. I hated throat swabs. Could there be anything worse? Finally, following our hour long wait, a gagging regurgitating swab and a prescription, I tested positive for strep throat. Austin paid the bill and we were on our way.

  We stopped off at the Safeway to get the prescription filled and I stayed in the car. The next thing I knew he was pulling into our driveway. That was fast.

  “How fast did you drive?”

  His laugh was answer enough.

  Ryan was gone but Austin helped maneuver my weak body up the stairs to my room. I needed the antibiotics. My mind bordered on delirious.

  “I am so sorry,” I moaned collapsing on my bed.

  “Sorry for what?” he asked tucking the covers around me.

  Tears came but only moistened my dry eyes. “For all of this. You didn’t have to do any of this.”

  “I’m certain I had nothing better to do today. Now swallow this pill. You’re sounding loopy.”

  The pill was white and the size of a miniature candy bar and I questioned if it would go down my inflamed throat. It did, thank God.

  “Will you stay with me till I fall asleep?”