by A. L. Moore
Later that evening, like I’d done when I woke that morning, I went out to feed the animals, but they'd already been fed, so I knew Thomas had been over. I just didn’t know when. I hadn’t seen him in two days, not since he slammed a door in my face. I was afraid if I mentioned it to Katy, I’d put the Tyner’s in a bad light, and I’d made promises I intended on keeping. Though, I knew something was going on over there, and judging from Thomas’s reaction, it wasn’t anything good. The bigger mystery was why Thomas was avoiding me. Rusty had been with Katy before we’d gone to the hospital, and he’d acted perfectly normal. Today had been the first day cars hadn’t blocked the street in front of their house. Rusty’d told Katy it was family in from out of town, but I knew that wasn’t true. It had been a continuous smorgasbord over there, and no one bared the least resemblance to the Tyner’s or to each other.
Jenny started to whimper with her eyes still shut tightly. I handed her off to Mama, who’d nodded off, but seemed to wake up the exact moment Jenny stirred. It was a good thing Jenny wasn’t my baby. I would’ve never woken to such a soft sound. Her cry was more like that of a small cat than a baby. Sometimes I slept right through my alarm clock, and it was loud enough to be heard down the hall.
I followed Daddy out back. He was making laps, checking on everything.
“Thomas has done a good job,” he said, securing the barn after walking through and giving it a once over. “Did you help him?”
I shook my head, “No. He’d been and gone before I got up. He must’ve come before daylight.”
“Tell him to come and see me. I want to give him a little extra for watching out for you and the house.” As far as I knew, Thomas had forgotten anyone without four legs lived here. “We saw him on the way out,” Daddy explained to my bunched brow. “He promised to keep an eye out for you.
“You didn’t have him in the house, did you?”
“Like I said, I haven’t seen him.”
Daddy went toward the fields, and I went back inside. Jenny and Mama both looked to be asleep but the closer I got, I could see Jenny still eating. Mama gave me a tired look and shooed me away when the floor creaked. Once in my room, I called Katy, but John Tyler answered the phone and didn’t stop making animal noises long enough for me to speak. I finally hung up. Afraid I’d wake Jenny, I spent the rest of the night in my bedroom, contemplating what could be going on with the Tyner’s. I checked the house from my window several times throughout the night but, besides Mr. Tyner’s car, their drive stayed empty.
Daddy knocked on my door at seven the next morning and told me to get dressed. Our new horse was coming today. That was all I needed to hear. I threw on some cutoffs, a loose-fitting tank-top, and my boots, not even bothering with socks. I took the steps two at a time until I caught sight of Thomas and slowed. He stood inside the opened front door with his back to me. If I moved quickly, I could turn around and he’d be none the wiser. Taking a careful step back, I cringed when the floor creaked. Thomas looked up then, meeting my eyes with an emotionless expression. I hesitated, waiting on him to speak but he didn’t. He didn’t react at all. A car door slammed outside, and Daddy came in from the kitchen.
"They're here," he said with his ballcap in his hands. “Breelynn, Thomas,” he glanced between the two of us, perplexed, "what are you doing just standin’ there. Get a move on. Thomas go get the barn open and the stable ready. Thomas was already in motion as Daddy’s gaze turned to me. "Breelynn, come on out and let me introduce you to Mrs. Lee. She raised Addy, too."
Just as I went to step out the front door, I glanced through to the kitchen to see Thomas doing the same. Once our eyes met, he disappeared out the back.
Allendale was magnificent. He stood tall while I examined his dark chocolate coat. His build was strong and sturdy. I could easily picture him winning ribbons. We didn’t even have to coax him to the barn. He strutted behind me like he was just as excited to be here as I was to have him here. He didn’t seem to notice Addy. He was more interested in examining the place.
“Breelynn,” Mrs. Lee spoke up. I hadn’t realized she’d been following. “Why don’t you give him a ride before you put him up? Allendale likes to run, and it was a long drive.”
I liked Mrs. Lee. Her clothes were loud like her hair. Her pants were a fiery red that billowed at the knee just above her cow-print boots. She was as loud as any man, complaining about the drive and telling us all about the horse. She looked at me, too, when she spoke. Most people would’ve looked over me entirely and just talked to Daddy, but not her. She made me feel like an adult.
“Thomas, saddle him up,” Daddy said, giving Allendale a once over.
“I can do it,” I said, reaching for the saddle. I didn’t want Mrs. Lee to think she was handing her horse over to some kid who couldn’t saddle a horse.
Daddy patted my shoulder. “I know you can, honey but Allendale is tall.
I crossed my arms with a huff and watched Thomas saddle Allendale faster than I ever could have imagined. I would have to practice. He held his hand out to help me on, but I ignored him, sticking my foot into the stirrup and getting enough footing to grab the horn and pull myself into place. Allendale raised his head as if to let me know he was ready, and we started out. The rain was barely a drizzle now and the patches of blue looked hopeful. I kept him in a trot until we passed the mud around the animal pens and then, I turned him loose. He was just like Addy in his eagerness, but the way he moved was more calculated, like he was surveying the land as we ran. Addy was more fluid, like a kid just running for the thrill of running. Allendale’s gallop was strong and had me holding on tighter on our way back.
When I reached the field, Mrs. Lee met me and said her goodbyes. I thanked her again and then, seeing Thomas busy at work, I turned back for the trees. I saw Mr. Johnson with his head stuck under another tractor. That was all he seemed to be doing this summer. I didn’t see Katy or any of the other kids, so I rode down to the river. Allendale lapped up the cold water and walked slowly across the fallen pine needles. His willingness to head back was about as strong as mine. We walked until we reached the road that bordered our land and turned back. My stomach was so far beyond hungry that I was starting to feel weak.
Thomas was waiting outside the barn when I rode up. I took my time climbing off Allendale and handed him the reigns.
“You looked good out there,” he smiled, leading Allendale inside. “What’d you think of him?”
“He’s great. He didn’t make one stupid move the entire ride,” I said meaningfully, crossing my arms over my chest. “I knew what he was going to do before he even did it.”
“But where’s the fun in that?” he asked. I rolled my eyes and started out of the barn, but he grabbed my arm. “Wait, Bree, I’m sorry.”
“No, you’re not,” I brushed him off and tried to pull away.
“Yes,” he said firmly, “I am. I wasn’t trying to be a jerk. You just don’t need to come over to my house anymore.”
“Why?” I stopped resisting and stepped in front of him.
“Just trust me, Bree. It’s not a good idea.”
He let go of me and lead Allendale into the stall. “You’re going to have to do better than that,” I said, trying to take the saddle from him. He raised it over my head and put it back on the table. “Who were all of those people?”
“No one I know,” he muttered.
“They’re gone now, right? I mean, the cars are gone,” I pointed out. “So, why can’t I come over?”
He nodded, tinkering with Daddy’s tools. “Because they’ll be back, Bree. Mr. Tyner lost his job.”
“And what, opened a drive-thru in the living room?”
Thomas looked at me like I was missing something obvious. “They aren’t cooking hamburgers,” he said sourly.
“Then, what are they doing?” I asked.
He sighed, throwing his hands in the air. “Drugs, Bree, they’re selling drugs. They’re making the stuff in our kitchen. They’ve even got
Rusty helping.”
My jaw dropped. I couldn’t believe someone I knew would do something like that. “Where’d they get the equipment?”
“What equipment? We’ve got a stove,” he said. “You can buy everything else at the drugstore.” He chuckled but not in the carefree way I was used to. “Drugstore. That word has a whole new meaning,” he said humorlessly.
“You have to tell the police,” I insisted, spinning for the door. “Tell my daddy. He’ll know what to do.”
“And what, go to a group home?” he asked angrily, bringing me up short. “I just want to finish school and get the hell out of here.”
“But what they’re doing,” I started.
“Is none of your business,” he said sharply, taking me by both arms. “You can’t say anything. Promise me.
“It’s not like I’m cooking it with them.”
“Do you think it will matter when the cops show up?” I demanded near tears. “They’re going to show up. My parents aren’t going to be as slow to catch on to the traffic as I was.”
He let me go and slammed his fists into the workbench. “Why does everything have to be so complicated? Just once I’d like to live in a normal house.”
“Stay with me.”
“Your daddy is nice and all, Bree, but they’re never going to let me move in.” He shook his head. “I wouldn’t ask.”
“I would,” I said, turning again for the door.
“No. You won’t.” He grabbed me around the waist. “Please, Bree, can we just forget it, at least while I’m here. I don’t want to think about it, not with you.” He held me close to his chest. I could feel his pounding heart as his arms squeezed my waist.
I reluctantly agreed, though I knew something like this couldn’t be ignored for long. We spent the rest of the day doing odd jobs around the farm. I followed mostly, watching in amazement as he repaired anything and everything as if a manual of instructions were printed on his brain. We talked about where we wanted to live after school and the kind of houses we wanted. Thomas didn’t care what kind of house his was as long as it was free of people like the Tyners. We both wanted kids, someday. He wanted two boys, and I wanted a girl. Katy’s family had me scared to have a boy. Thomas was going to make the family he’d always wanted. It sounded nice to hear him talk about it. He painted the picture so clearly; I could almost see him tending fields while two boys like John Tyler played in the mud. It was a foolish thing to do, but I pictured myself there, too. Just as the sun started to dip low in the sky, Mama called us in for supper. She tried to convince Thomas to stay but he wouldn’t.
It was hard to make small talk and force down macaroni knowing Thomas was living in a drug lab just across the road. He wasn’t taking it seriously enough. The types of people there that day were scary looking to say the least. All the guy in the van needed was a mask and he would’ve easily passed for Michael Myers. I would have to talk to Thomas again. There had to be a better solution than staying there.
“You haven’t been keeping Thomas from his work, have you?” Daddy asked, shushing Jenny so Mama could eat.
“Nope, I was helping,” I said indignantly. I’d helped Daddy do everything around here until he’d hired Thomas.
“I didn't mean any offense," he sighed. "But you two don’t need to spend every waking hour together.” He stood with Jenny in his arms when she started whimpering, again. Mama took her from him and trudged sleepily around the room in a slight rocking motion. “What was Katy doing today?”
“She was busy. Besides, today was the first day in two days I’ve seen Thomas, Daddy,” I pointed out. “We were just catching up. Katy has a boyfriend, too, you know?”
“Is Thomas your boyfriend?” Daddy asked. Oops.
“She’s a teenager, Marshall,” Mama sighed, Jenny’s small head bobbing over her shoulder. “You remember what that’s like.”
Daddy pushed his cornbread back on the plate and crossed his arms. “I sure do, especially at seventeen,” he said gruffly, eyeing Mama. “Do you?”
“She’s not seventeen.”
“He is!” Daddy pointed out rather severely, causing Jenny to stir, again. Mama’s eyes went wide as she looked down at her once dry t-shirt. Daddy mouthed, “Sorry,” before turning his attention back to me. In a softer voice, he said. “That may be too much of an age difference, Breelynn.”
“It’s only two years,” I said, sending the fork to my plate with more force than necessary. “You are ten years older than Mama.”
Daddy scratched his balding head before adjusting his ballcap. “Yes, but your mama was nearly nineteen when we got to together. We were both adults,” he explained as if it made any difference. “Thomas will be graduating this year and you’re just starting high school.”
“He’s only a junior,” I persisted, looking hopefully at Mama.
“Come on, Marshall,” Mama said, her eyes so heavy I didn’t see how she was still standing. I thought seriously about taking Jenny but seeing how she was latching on to Mama’s chest, I kept my seat. “You were just saying what a good kid the boy is.”
“He is,” Daddy said reluctantly, scraping the last bit of pintos and corn onto his fork and shoveling them into his mouth.
“Then, the subject is closed,” Mama yawned. “He’s over here every day. It’s not like you can’t keep an eye on them. It will probably be over by the time school starts anyway.”
Good to know they were taking my love life seriously.
Chapter 14
I broke my promise to Thomas less than a week later. He’d just left me on my front porch and disappeared into the brightly lit house across the street. Jenny's cry echoed through the closed door. Her voice had grown substantially in the past week, and my tolerance for it had not been able to keep up. I sat on the swing and closed my eyes, still reveling in the warmth from Thomas’s arms as he’d hugged me goodnight last night. I found myself doing that a lot; the three A.M. wake up calls from the crib had helped my daydreams progress significantly.
I opened my eyes when the door slammed across the street. Mr. Tyner was swearing so loud, I just knew my parents would be out soon. I gripped the wooden porch railing to stop the creaky swing. It was difficult to see who he was talking to. There didn't appear to be anyone else outside. It wasn’t long before a dark van pulled up. Three men got out and met Mr. Tyner in the front yard. The driver yelled something and pushed Mr. Tyner. The other two men from the van pulled the driver back, and they all followed Mr. Tyner into the house. I could still hear them yelling after the door closed. Glancing back at my closed front door, I crept quietly off the porch and slipped across the street. The boys’ window was dark without as much as a light from the television. The backdoor was closed, too. I stayed close to the house and checked out the other side. The kitchen was as cluttered as ever, but I didn’t see the test tubes and Bunsen burner I’d pictured. A sheet covered the living room window. I froze in the bushes when I heard the front door open. The men from the van came out like thunder, loudly bickering back and forth between themselves. I waited until I heard the old van crank up and leave before moving.
“Bree?” Thomas’s voice shook me. His face went from surprise to fury before he could get to me. He took my hand roughly and started pulling me across the street. I had to jog to keep up with his pace. He towed me all the way to the barn behind my house, leading me into the darkness before closing the heavy doors behind us.
“I told you not to come over!” he steamed, stalking back and forth. He was dressed in the black basketball shorts I’d seen him in before and no shirt. I couldn't help but notice his stomach muscles were more defined since he’d been helping around our place. I tried to move with him, to grasp his hand, but he wasn't having it. His eyes burned as he clasped his hands behind his head.
“I had to see you were okay?” I said adamantly. "I was still outside when they pulled up. I couldn't go in without seeing you. What happened?”
“A deal went bad," he said still pacing
, "but Mr. Tyner took care of it.
“You can’t keep doing this, Breelynn.”
“I had to see you,” I explained, reaching through the slither of light coming in from the barn door to grab his hand, but he pulled away. “I wasn’t going to go inside. I thought you’d be in your room.”
“What if someone had seen you?” he asked, burying his head in his hands. “These aren’t nice people, Bree.”
“I get it, Thomas, but..." I was at a loss. I didn't want to make promises I couldn't keep, and I'd never be able to stay away if I thought for one second that he was in danger. I cared for him so much it hurt my stomach to watch him go home at night. I'd never felt this for anyone else. "Then you have to come to me,” I said, offering the only solution I could come to. I stepped closer into his chest, forcing him to stand still.
“What?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.
“If I can’t come to you, then you have to come to me,” I insisted, hesitantly weaving my fingers into his. “That’s the deal. If you don’t want me to come over, then you have to come here. I have to know you’re okay.”
Giving our hands a gentle squeeze, he sighed, “Why do you care so much?”
“Don’t you?” I asked, unsure of how to answer. I didn’t have an answer. There wasn’t one specific event or thing I could point to. This feeling was brand new, terrifying and exciting. It had slowly crept over me like the fog over the fields after a heavy rain. It was the sound of my name on his tongue and the way his eyes seemed to touch a spot deep inside where no one else had ever reached. I swallowed hard as the realization sunk in. It didn’t matter what rules Daddy set up. It was too late. I was head over heels in love with Thomas.
“Breelynn?” I heard Daddy call from just outside.
I held my finger to my lips and moved away from Thomas. He nodded with his back against the wall behind the heavy door.
