by Casey Peeler
As the music slows, Walker and I begin to dance slowly. As I lay my head on his shoulder, I hear someone ask if they can cut in. Daddy. Walker agrees and makes his way to the bar to talk to Darren. Daddy takes me in his arms as we sway to the beat of the music, and as the next song picks up, we begin to two-step with the others on the dance floor. We laugh and enjoy our daddy-daughter moment, and when that song ends, I know it’s time for him to take the stage once more. I give him a hug, and he tells me to take the stage with him.
Looking over my shoulder at Walker, he begins to hoot and holler for me. I can already feel the heat rising in my cheeks. Jackson’s Wheel begins to play one of my favorite Hunter Hayes’ songs, “Where It All Begins”. Taking the microphone in my hand, I start with the first verse, and Daddy picks up on verse two. As we sing the chorus together, I feel this is the moment my life really begins. Looking into the crowd, I see Logan is smiling from ear to ear, and Walker has a look of pride on his face.
When the song ends, Daddy looks at me for one more, and this one’s got to be a little more upbeat. I turn to the band and tell them “There’s Your Trouble” by the Dixie Chicks. As the fiddle begins to play, I own the stage and have the most fun I’ve had in a long time. When it ends, I place the microphone back and give Daddy a hug as I step off the stage.
I see Walker deep in conversation with Darren, and I make my way to the bar. Several people stop me to tell me how great my singing was. I thank them and hurry to Walker and wrap my arms around him.
“Hey,” he says as he turns around.
“What y’all talkin’ ’bout? ’Cause it looked serious,” I say.
“Nah, we were just talking about who’s gonna win the game Sunday.”
“Oh, okay. Come on, Walk. I wanna dance some more,” I say as I pull him to the dance floor.
Walker
Thankfully, Chauna didn’t hear my conversation with Darren. I had asked him if he heard from Ivan since the drop, but he hadn’t so I hoped that meant everything was okay. I hate not telling her the truth.
Dancing with Chauna the remainder of the night was amazing, but seeing her truly happy was something I can’t explain. She’s always been a happy person, but there was always a piece missing.
As the adults begin to arrive, we take our party out to the lake. Mark has a bonfire going and music blaring. Chauna and I hold hands as we make our way to the others.
Keeping this party smaller than the one at Boondocks was our plan, and so far so good. Ally, Beth, Logan, and Mark are all sitting around the fire with a cold beer in their hands. We sit, and they tell me stories about Chauna as a kid. She gets totally embarrassed, and I love it. Logan even talks about Lane and how they all played together. I’ve never heard him mention his brother, but to see him light up when he mentions them all together, I understand.
Mark excuses himself and returns with a bottle of shine. “Y’all want some?” he asks.
I look at Chauna, and she gives a shrug, but then Beth, being the cop’s daughter, asks a question.
“Who’d you get that from?”
“My dad. He’s got his sources.” He laughs.
“Oh, really?” she states.
“Yeah, so you want some or not?” he asks as he takes another sip.
“Why not,” she says, and we all pass it around. When it gets to me, I pause and look at Chauna.
“Go ahead. One sip can’t hurt ya,” she says.
I take a sip, and she does the same. We continue to pass it around until the jar is empty. One by one everyone goes home, and by two o’clock, I take her home, hoping that her daddy isn’t there yet.
Chapter 28
Chauna
Waking up Saturday morning, I replay my night. Walker has to be the most perfect guy ever. He went out of his way to make sure my birthday was perfect. Logan gave me an amazing gift that I’ll never forget, and dancing with Daddy made me feel like a little girl again. It reminded me of the first night I walked into Boondocks with my parents.
Tossing the covers off, I decide that I’m going to finish that college application and send it off this morning. I hurry downstairs to beat the mail carrier and am greeted by Daddy when I get back.
“Want to tell me what that was?” he asks.
“Application to Charlotte, but don’t get too excited, okay?” I state as I go to fix a bowl of cereal for breakfast.
“I’ll try not to,” he says with a wink.
Walker calls and says he has to work at Ivan’s most of the day, so I text Beth and Ally to see if they want to hang out. Ally is busy with Paul. I can’t believe that they are actually still talking, and Beth has plans with Mark. I decide to just hang out with Daddy until Walker gets off, and we have our weekly date night at Sammy’s Drive-In and our spot.
Walker
As soon as I hang up with Chauna, I hurry to Ivan’s. I wasn’t supposed to work today, but for some reason he’s got me coming in. So much for spending the day with my girl.
As I walk in, Suzy is at the desk like always, and Jimmy is under a car. Ivan is yelling my name as soon as he sees me.
“Get in here, Walker!” he yells, and I know I’m in trouble for something.
“Yes, sir.”
“Oh, stop with that ‘yes sir’ shit,” he says.
“What’s going on at Boondocks?”
I pause because I have no freaking clue what he’s talking about. “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ ’bout,” I say.
“They want out,” he says.
“What?” I say, completely confused.
“They said that things are getting too close for comfort with the police. I figured since your sweet on the Jackson girl, you could see how close the pigs really are to us,” he says with an evil grin.
“Ivan, I haven’t seen anything different there.” I don’t know what the hell he’s talking about. With a look of disgust, Ivan quickly dismisses me from his office, and I get to work.
While I’m under the hood, I continue to rack my brain about Boondocks, Darren, and anything that stands out. Nothing… nothing… Oh shit! As I replay last night, I didn’t think much about the fact that Darren was missing a lot. Each time someone said they wanted the clear, he’d disappear, and so would they. I just assumed that meant he was doing a good amount of business. It looked like a normal night to me. Although, I did notice that Mark was one of them, and he did have shine at the lake last night. I decide I’ll talk to Darren the next time I’m in, and hopefully, everything will be okay and they will continue to sell for Ivan. I don’t want anyone to get hurt, and I’m worried this might be getting out of hand.
At two, I clock out and go home to shower and call Chauna. As I pick up the phone, I hear my parents downstairs discussing Boondocks and what Ivan told Dad. When he tells my mom to get ready to go out for some drinks, the hair on the back of my neck rises. I have no idea what he is planning and what I can do to stop him. I wish I were a normal kid who could just enjoy a night out with his girl.
Chapter 29
Chauna
Around five, Daddy comes to my room and tells me he’s leaving for Boondocks. As I finish my makeup, he asks what my plans are for the night. I exit my bathroom and tell him same as usual— Sammy’s Drive-In and hanging out with Walker. I give him a hug goodbye and tell him I’m sure I’ll beat him home. He laughs because that’s what happens every weekend.
After Daddy leaves, I finish getting ready. I pull my hair up into a messy bun, add a little lip-gloss, and slide on my sandals. I watch Hope Floats, my favorite movie of all time, while I wait for Walker.
As I hear his engine approaching, I make sure everything is turned off before meeting him outside. He takes his helmet off as I approach and greets me with a kiss. Sliding on the back, we put our helmets on, and I wrap my arms tightly around his waist as we make our way to Sammy’s Drive-In.
As he turns off the engine, he looks at me. “Maybe we should start driving your truck? We might not stand out as much,” he says with a
smile.
“I like standing out,” I say as I lean in to kiss his perfect lips.
“You better stop that if you know what’s good for you,” he says as he pulls me onto his lap.
“I don’t care what’s good for me,” I say within inches of his face, and he begins to smile.
“Let’s see about that later on,” he says as I stand from the bike, and he lightly taps my ass. I hope he keeps his promise.
Walking toward our usual table, we see everyone is there except Logan.
“Where’s Lo?” I ask Mark.
“He went with his dad to look at some bat or something snazzy like that,” he replies.
“Oh, okay,” I say.
We all take a seat around the picnic table while Walker grabs our food and drinks. As the music gets louder, the families leave Sammy’s Drive-In, and the teenagers take over. Everyone is talking loud, dancing to music booming from someone’s truck, and a few people are getting hot and heavy.
Looking at two that can’t keep their hands off each other, I whisper to Walker, “Those two are making me jealous.” He laughs. “I bet we could show them up,” I say quietly.
“Are you serious?” he says into my ear.
“Damn right, I am,” I say as “Sunshine and Whiskey” by Frankie Ballard begins to play. I stand from the table, singing the opening line at the top of my lungs, and pull Walker to his feet. As I sing and dance to the beat of the music, he follows along. When the song ends, Walker stops and repeats the words of the song. He pulls me into his arms, and we make out for the entire crowd at Sammy’s Drive-In to see. As he kisses me harder, I follow him kiss after kiss. He picks me up, and I wrap my legs around his waist. Taking a breath, I look into his eyes and then toss my head back as I laugh at us in this moment. This is what life is about. Living in the moment with the ones you care about most.
Walker
After our show at Sammy’s, I was done sharing Chauna with everyone else. I just wanted us to be alone. We finished eating and told everyone bye before we hopped on my bike and cruised to the old fishing hole.
As I park the bike, Chauna removes her helmet and then steps off my bike, taking me by the hand.
“What are you up to?” I question.
“I told you I wasn’t into what was good for me,” she says. I like when this Chauna comes out every now and then.
“Oh, really?” I say as I follow her to the bank.
She takes both of my hands and looks me in the eyes. “Walker, I love you.”
“I love you, too, Princess,” I say as I pull her to me and taste her sweet lips.
We slowly explore each other’s bodies, and I fall even harder for her. I know there is no way I can imagine my life without her. As we lie in each other’s arms, I feel her heart beating next to mine and know that this is as close to perfect as I’ll ever be.
“Oh my gosh, Walker, look!” she says as a faint light flickers in the air. “Lightnin’ bugs! Did you ever catch them as a kid?” she asks.
“Can’t say that I have.”
“Well, we’re gonna have to fix that,” she says as she stands and takes me by the hand. Standing there, I watch as she looks for a flicker of light. She stalks it for a moment and then gracefully catches it in her hands. Closing her hands together, she looks at me for my turn.
“Go ahead. Catch one!” I follow what she did a few minutes ago, and after three tries, I finally have one.
“Now what?” I question.
“Well, normally we’d keep catching them and put them in a jar, but since we don’t have one, I have a better idea.” Something about her tone of voice scares me. “You sure you’ve never done this before? You grew up in the South, right?”
“Yes, I promise I’ve grown up in the South, but no, I’ve not had the luxury of catching lightning bugs.”
“It’s official. You’ve got to do it. You’ve got to watch them glow on your shirt,” she says.
Taking the bug, I place it on my shirt, and Chauna begins to giggle then full out horse laughs at me. What am I doing wrong?
“You better grab that before it flies away.” So I take the bug in my hands. “When I was a little girl, this is what we did,” she says as she takes the bug and smashes it with her fingers and places it on her shirt. She did not just do that? She has bug guts on her? What kinda girl is this?
As she removes her hand, she’s right. Her shirt is glowing, but isn’t that like bug homicide or something? She looks in my direction. “Go ahead, Walker,” she says. Without giving me much choice, I man up and do it. I smash that bug right on my shirt.
“Come on. Let’s catch some more,” she says, taking me by the hand. When we’re both glowing messes, we decide it’s time to go home.
“Thank you,” I say as she gets on my bike.
“What for?” she questions.
“For letting me see what it’s like to be a normal kid,” I say.
“There’s so much more I can show you,” she says.
“I can’t wait.”
The ride to her house seems quicker tonight. Since her dad isn’t home yet, Chauna invites me in for a few minutes. When I agree, she wastes no time capturing my lips and bringing me back to attention yet again. We quickly have another round in her bedroom, and then I force myself to leave before Mr. Jackson gets home.
Chauna walks me to the door, kisses me once more, and tells me to call her when I get home. I kiss her and promise her that I will. She waves goodbye as I leave her driveway. Damn, that girl’s got me twisted in a good way.
As I turn onto Barber Mill Road, the sound of sirens fills the air, and for some reason my heart begins to beat rapidly. Pulling the throttle, I hurry past Ivan’s where it’s dark as the night sky and get to my house as fast as I can. When I arrive, I notice that all of the lights are on, and when I run through the front door, I notice our shit is thrown everywhere. What the hell happened? I begin to yell for my parents. Nothing. I look out back, and their bikes are gone. Shit. I slam my hand against the wall.
Running back to my bike, I decide to go to the only other place that might hold the answer… Boondocks.
Going as fast as my bike can go, I pray that I’m not going to be walking into a nightmare. As I turn onto Main Street, there are red and blue lights flashing all around. I park my bike and try to enter, but the police won’t let me. Looking to my left, I notice several guys from Ivan’s standing there. Without thinking twice, I hurry around back and enter through the back door.
Quietly hurrying into the bar area, I see the madness unfolding before me. Darren is talking to the police, Paige is in tears, and Mr. Jackson is lying on the floor surrounded by paramedics.
“Paige!” I yell. She runs to me.
“Mike’s… hurt really bad,” she says between sobs.
“Who did this?” I ask, even though I don’t need an answer.
“Your… dad,” she whimpers. Her words bring my world to a crashing stop. I let her go and back away. I know there’s only one thing left for me to do. I need to be a man and take my father down.
Chapter 30
Chauna
Knowing Daddy should be home soon, I decide to stay up and finish watching Hope Floats. I grab a carton of cookie dough ice cream from the freezer and take a seat on the couch.
I jump at the sound of a hard knock at the front door. Looking outside, I see a police car and two police officers that I don’t know standing on the porch. That’s strange. I open the door.
“Can I help you?” I ask.
“Is Chauna Jackson here?”
“That’s me,” I say while putting down the ice cream and suddenly feeling sick to my stomach.
“Your father was in an accident tonight. I’m sorry, but you need to get to the hospital as fast as possible.” Accident? Like a wreck? “Would you like us to take you?”
“Please,” I say as tears begin to pour down my face. I take my cell phone from my pocket and call Walker, but he doesn’t answer. Where is he? He left here
an hour ago. Oh God! What if Dad and Walker were in a wreck together? Suddenly, my world stops, and I begin to panic. I don’t know what’s going on with Daddy, and I don’t know where Walker is.
As the officers walk me in through the emergency entrance, I look around for any sign of my daddy or Walker. Nothing. They lead me to a waiting room, and the nurse tells me that they have taken my daddy to surgery, and the doctor will be out as soon as he’s in recovery. I ask if there’s been a motorcycle accident, and she says no. I try to call Walker again, and he still doesn’t answer, so I leave him a voicemail and pray he gets it soon. Not knowing what to do, I call the only other person I can think about… Logan.
“Lo,” I say as I try to keep myself together.
“What’s wrong?” he asks.
“It’s Daddy. I need you to come to the hospital,” I cry.
“I’m on my way.”
Walker
Not giving my brain time to think, I run to my bike. When I see Ivan and some of the other guys watching the police, I walk over to them.
“Walker,” Ivan says.
“Where are my parents?” I question.
“Hell if I know.”
“Don’t act like a bitch. Tell me where the fuck they went,” I seethe.
He begins to laugh. “They are long gone, son.”
I turn to walk away, but before I do, my fist collides with Ivan’s face. I don’t care that there are cops around.
A cop sees us and walks our way. “Ivan, is there a problem?”
“No, we’re fine. Isn’t that right, Walker?”
“Yup, just fine.” I just want to find my parents and get the answers that Chauna deserves. Without another word, I walk calmly to my bike and go back to my house to search for clues.
After searching for hours, I find nothing, absolutely no clue as to where they might have gone. I go to my room and grab my picture of Grams and Gramps and a duffle bag of clothes. Walking into my parents’ room, I check for any extra money under their mattress, and that’s when I find the folded piece of notebook paper with my first clue as to where they might have gone. Time to bring the bastard down. Just as I walk out the door, my phone rings. Glancing down, I see it’s Chauna, and I know I should answer, but I just can’t. Not after what I just saw. Not until I get the answers she deserves.
