by Ruthi Kight
Hidden Falls
By Ruthi Kight
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2013 Ruthi Kight
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, e-mail [email protected].
Dedication
Dedicated to Olivia, Ava, and Amilya, the best little girls in the world.
Chapter One
Katy
I rolled out of bed this morning with one thought: I’d rather be asleep. Yep. People who normally get up at this time of the day must have a screw loose somewhere ‘cause there was nothing enjoyable about hearing a bunch of damn crickets first thing in the morning. It’s so early that the birds weren’t even chirping yet. That right there was a sure sign that I should have crawled back into the bed.
But I didn’t. Don’t get it twisted. I have a not-so-secret love affair with my bed, but today I was supposed to be at the farm. When Roxie and Chase came to see me last week, they practically begged, so I couldn’t tell them no. I could tell they were both stressed out, so what was I supposed to do?
“Please! Don’t make me get on my knees! You know I’ll do it,” Roxie said.
I put my hands on my hips and stared at her. Behind her stood the guy who had once held my heart. He had been at the front of my mind since I was a little girl, but now I had to push those thoughts aside. He and Roxie were together now. Sigh.
“You do realize you’re asking me to run your farm, right? Me? The girl who has a serious aversion to animal crap?” I replied to her not so subtle begging.
“You won’t be there alone, promise. Brian will be-” Roxie began.
“What? No, no no no. N-O.” I shook my head and looked away from her. I could not spend that much time with Brian.
“It’s only for a few weeks, Katy. Please? It would really help us out.” Chase pleaded with me, his blue eyes sparkling in the afternoon sun. I wanted to punch him. He knew I couldn’t say no to him...
“You both owe me. Big time.” I huffed out after a moment.
“Thank you so much! You have no idea how much we owe you!” Roxie practically tackled me to the ground, and I couldn’t help but laugh. She had no idea how true those words were. And I was going to cash in on them when the time was right.
“I’ll make sure my brother is on his best behavior. No worries,” Chase said with a cheeky smile.
I let out a loud laugh, the vibrations running through my body. “Yeah, that’ll be the day. Brian? Behave?”
The chirping of my alarm brought me back to the moment and I stood up from the bed. I stretched, feeling my relaxed muscles pull and twist. I heard my back crack, a seriously loud sound in the quiet of my bedroom. I looked over at the clock and groaned again. With a quick search for my shorts and t-shirt, I fled to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Nothing to it but to do it.
*****
“Remind me again why I’m doing this?” I asked, turning to look at my mother. She was cooking breakfast for me at this inhumane hour of the morning while I chugged my cup of mocha flavored coffee.
“Because Roxie’s your best friend,” she replied. “How do you want your eggs, sweetie?”
“Scrambled, please. I can’t stand that sunny side up crap.” I took another sip of my coffee, slower this time, trying to savor its healing properties.
“Don’t talk like that young lady. You were raised better than that.” She continued cooking, not bothering to turn and look my way when scolding me. Typical of my mother.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. I looked at the clock again. Five in the morning. Or Satan’s hour, as I liked to call it. Nothing good has ever come from being up so damn early. Mom set a plate in front of me filled with scrambled eggs and cheese grits, my favorite foods. She always knew the way to my heart: through my Southern stomach.
Watching her stand at the stove, humming along with the tune in her head, reminded me of when I was younger. Back when she was actually a “mom,” instead of the shell of a woman she had become. Sure, mornings hadn’t changed much over the years, but evenings sure weren’t what they used to be. I felt nostalgic as I watched her and a small part of me felt the urge to run up behind her and hug her, never letting go. These moments were too few and far between for me to let go easily.
I devoured every last scrap of goodness from my plate. I had a feeling that I would need all the energy I could get to handle the day ahead of me. I stood and walked to the counter, placing my plate gently in the bottom of the cracked and worn sink. I could still remember the glass that had been thrown in there when I was a child, causing the initial crack. Over the years more items were thrown in, but that first glass had felt like the beginning of the end. And not just for the sink.
“Bye Mom. I’ll be back this evenin’!” I yelled as I quickly left our small yellow and white country kitchen. I could hear her calling after me, but at that point I was in a rush to get out of there. I promised Roxie that I would be there by six, and not a minute later. With her parents in town, she was having a hard time keeping up with the heavy work load. Evidently, they were high maintenance as well.
I had only met them briefly, the day of Betty’s funeral and at graduation, but it was enough to convince me that I would never be placing them on any favorite’s list. Chase, as sweet and kind as he was, couldn’t seem to bring himself to like them either. That simple fact made me feel a little bit better about my indifference to them. The ringing of my phone pulled me from my thoughts. I pulled the phone out and found Brian’s face smiling back at me.
“Y’ello,” I answered.
“Are you on your way yet? I’ve been waiting ten minutes already.” There was no hint of his normal chipper tone. Maybe he wasn’t a morning person either.
“I’m on my way, calm down! I have to walk, remember?” I replied, my breath huffing out as I picked up speed. I looked out, taking in the stretch of road in front of me. With the sultry heat, I knew I would be a complete mess by the time I got there.
“Walk? Why didn’t you say something Kitty? I’ll be right there,” he replied.
“Don’t call me-” The click of the phone in my ear set me off. He knew how much I hated that nickname. He had been calling me Kitty Kat since we were in first grade and yet, he still couldn’t get it through his thick skull that I hated it.
I growled as I put my phone back in my pocket. Wasn’t it bad enough that I had to get up at the butt crack of dawn? Why did that torture have to involve Brian as well? The boy was infuriating, even at his best. I had begged Roxie, repeatedly, to find someone else to help out. But no one else was available to help, or at least that’s what she told me.
If he was insisting on picking me up, then I wasn’t walking any further. It was too damn hot to keep going, especially if he wanted to play my knight in rusted armor. I sat down on the still damp grass, the dew seeping through my shorts. While most days I would have felt gross having my bottom wet, today I was going to make an exception. The sun wasn’t even out and it was already hot enough to fry an egg on the damn asphalt.
The birds were now up and chirping their happy-go-lucky tunes. I had the sudden urge to run back inside and get my brother’s old slingshot. It was like everyone and everything around me was basking in my grumpy mood. The sun wasn’t even up yet, bu
t I was expected to be all smiles and shit? Not likely, especially today.
A few minutes later I heard the rumble of Brian’s truck, which was my sign to stand up again. His old beater had a distinctive sound that was hard to ignore. It always reminded me of the roar of an angry lion, a female lion with her monthly gift. I watched as the truck sped down the road, rocketing towards me at a speed that I didn’t think was possible for it to reach. The thing was old as dirt, so I always wondered how on earth it moved as fast as it did.
The truck slowed as it came within twenty yards of where I was standing. I made no move to come closer, sure that he would pretend to run me over again. Last time it wasn’t pretend. My broken toe was proof of that. That was yet another reason that I kept my distance from Brian. He was one of those guys who was always up to something, always looking for his next adrenaline fix or practical joke.
“You gonna stare all day? Or are ya gonna get in?” he called out to me. I looked up and found the truck in front of me, when only moments ago I was watching his approach.
“Depends. You gonna run me over again?” I remarked. I gave him my best sassy face, but he only chuckled. I would have to work on that.
“Get your ass in here Kitty. We’re already late.” He leaned over and swung the passenger door open for me. He straightened up and gave me one of his trademark goofy smiles. “God help me, what have I gotten myself into?” I mumbled to myself as I climbed into the truck and shut the rusty door. I looked over at him and found him grinning from ear to ear. “Don’t call me Kitty.”
“Whatever you say...Kitty,” he replied with a smile, turning the truck around. I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes. Day one had just begun and already I was wishing the two weeks were over.
Chapter Two
Brian
“We’re here Kitty. Let’s get to work.” I pulled up in front of the barn and threw the gearshift into park. I looked over at Katy, her head rested on the back of the seat, and couldn’t help but stare at her. The early morning sun that poured through the window was shined a spotlight on her beautiful face. Her mouth, the one that I had fantasized about for years, was slightly parted. I wanted nothing more, in that moment, than to feel them. Would they be as soft and welcoming as they appeared?
She lifted her head and looked at me, her mouth falling into a frown. I shook my head and focused my attention on the barn in front of us. “You ready for some fun?” I wiggled my eyebrows at her suggestively.
“Sure, let me know when it gets here,” she replied, unbuckling her seat belt and opening the door. She got out of the truck and slammed the door shut, the sound reverberating in the quiet of the morning. She would be a hard nut to crack, but I was determined that this summer would be the one. Chase was finally off the market, so her attention would no longer be focused on the crush she had held onto since we were kids.
I got out of the truck, trying not to slam my door, if only to prove a point to her. But she didn’t seem to notice. She walked straight to the barn doors and unlocked them. I followed behind her, my eyes practically glued to her ass in those faded jean shorts. I couldn’t help but wonder if she knew what she was doing to me when she showed up dressed like that. Who dresses like that to shovel horse shit all day?
“You’re a real peach today,” I muttered as I passed her. Out of the corner of my eye I could see her back straighten and her arms close across her chest. She was shutting down already and the day had barely started. Good job, Dick. What are you gonna do next? Tell her she looks fat in those shorts?
“Some of us don’t do early mornings, ‘kay? We can’t all be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed with the sun.” She walked over to the office door and unlocked it. She flipped the lights on and went inside, planting her gorgeous cheeks in Betty’s leather chair. The thought of Betty brought me up short. As I looked at Katy I couldn’t help but imagine it was Betty sitting there. I could see it so clearly in my mind: her sun-weathered face drawn down in concentration and her hands continuously messing with her silver hair.
In that moment my heart broke again. I had kept my pain inside since she died, never bothering to let it loose on the world. I knew what my pain was capable of producing and it was never good. For anyone involved. I tried to shake the feeling off, determined to put the heart-ache away yet again. There was work to be done and I couldn’t let painful memories drag me down.
I walked into the office and stood in front of the desk. “You know, I’m not going to muck out those stalls by myself. Why don’t you grab a pitch fork and make yourself useful?”
Her honey brown eyes slowly rose to meet mine and in that moment I knew I was in trouble. “Roxie asked me to make sure the delivery of hay for the horses came in today. So that’s what I’m doing. You wanna go play in poo? Go right ahead. I’ll be right here, in the air conditioning.”
I shook off her attitude and squared my shoulders. I refused to let her get to me, no matter how hard she glared at me. No matter how much contempt shone through. “Fine. But once you’re done, you better come help me. I ain’t gonna do all this by myself for the entire two weeks woman.”
I turned and left her there, her mouth hanging open. I wouldn’t give her the option of responding. Besides, I could feel the front of my jeans becoming uncomfortably tight as we argued. Her feisty attitude had always been a turn on, but this time I couldn’t enjoy it. This time I had to ignore her and do my job. I couldn’t let Roxie down. She was going through enough right now, what with her parents being in town. Chase had told me that things had been rough since they showed up for graduation, but I had a feeling he wasn’t telling me the whole story.
I knew that it was none of my business, but I was dying to know what would happen next. I had a feeling that Roxie’s parents would try to take her back to New York but, would she end up letting them? The one member of her family that tied her to this place was gone. I couldn’t help but wonder if her love for my brother was enough to keep her here for the long haul. If it wasn’t, then God help Chase’s soul. His whole life was sure to crumble.
Chapter Three
Katy
That’s right Brian, walk away. Gah! He makes me so mad sometimes! That flippant attitude would drive me to drink, if I was legal. And that damn nickname! How many times do I have to tell him that I’m no kitty! If I was, I would be a lion, dammit! I watched as he walked out of the office, the sway of his hips hypnotizing.
Wait. What was I doing? Was I seriously checking out his backside? Frustrated, I got up and walked to the office door. I peeked out, finding him in the closest stall working, and then slammed the door shut. I leaned back against the wood, my breath coming in rapid spurts. What was wrong with me? This was Brian, Chase’s little brother. The epitome of pain in the ass.
I shook my head, desperate to shake off the icky feeling that was coursing through my body. I stalked back to the desk and sat down, my eyes landing on the framed picture on the desk. The ornate silver frame had been a gift from Chase and Brian last year for Betty’s birthday. Inside, taken from what seemed like a million years ago, was a picture of Betty with her arms around Roxie. They were both smiling as if they had no cares in the world.
I could still remember the day it was taken. It was two weeks after Roxie discovered that Betty had cancer. They had both been so determined at that point. They kept repeating the same mantra: Nothing will make us stop living, not even cancer. It was their affirmation for each day. For me, it had been a constant reminder of the inevitable. For them, it was their shining light. Their only hope. I envied them both then. They were so strong, both of them determined to live life to its fullest.
With Betty gone, the farm didn’t seem to hold the same feeling as it once had. The workers that Betty hired so many years ago had all left. Roxie told me that they couldn’t stay, that the memory of Betty haunted them each day. I wanted to slap each and every one of them. Did they not realize what Roxie was going through? No, they only focused on what they were feeling. She tried to act
as if it didn’t bother her, but I knew it had. She had no idea what she was doing, running the farm, but she was determined to make a go of it.
Now, with her parents here, I feared the worst. No one spoke about it, but it was there, in the back of our minds. Would she stay? Would her parents drag her back, kicking and screaming? She was 18 now, but if they pulled the financial plug, she would be in trouble. The farm was never a real money maker, but it allowed Betty to live a comfortable life.
The ringing of the phone pulled me from my thoughts. I picked it up and placed it against my ear. “This is Katy.”
“Hey, has Brian made it there yet?” Chase. Of course it was Chase. He was always checking up on his brother, even though he was officially a grown man.
“He’s in the stalls. What’s up?” I leaned back in the chair, easing my feet up on the corner of the desk.
“Just wanted to make sure he didn’t bail. He...umm...yeah. Okay, gotta go!”
I shook my head and placed the phone back on its cradle. I walked over to the door, prepared to pull it open, when I heard Brian’s voice through the door. He sounded like he was talking to someone, obviously on the phone since we were the only ones in the barn. I was immediately intrigued. I had always been nosey, but this took the cake.
I cracked the door enough to let his voice filter through. Irritation thick in his voice, Brian all but growled into the phone, “Back off, Chase. Let me handle my own problems. I’ll talk to her when I’m good and damn ready!”
I leaned away from the opening and gently closed the door again. I couldn’t contain my curiosity. Who were they talking about? Obviously he was having problems with some girl and Chase was harping on him, like usual. I wanted to walk out there and find out who he was talking about, but I knew it wasn’t my place to do so. Brian and I had never been close, at least not like Chase and I were. Even though we were closer in age, we were complete opposites. Plus, he didn’t make my blood boil in a good way like Chase had.
