Tess in Boots

by Courtney Rice Gager

  “What?” I tightened my grip on the wheel.

  “Is there something going on with you two?”

  “Who?” I gulped and cast a nervous glance in his direction.

  “You and Thatcher,” he said.

  Oh, no. He’s on to me. Of course he is. He’s Jake.

  My pulse sped up and I forced a loud laugh. “Of course not!”

  He took a deep breath. “Because if there is, it’s really important for you to tell me. Really important.”

  “There’s nothing!” I turned up the radio to tune him out before he could say anything else and guilt me into talking.

  My mind flooded with questions. Like, why was Jake so concerned about my love life? And what was going on between Sara and Thatcher? They were cousins. It made sense, but it didn’t begin to explain the rest of what I overheard them talking about. A little bit of light was shed, but something still didn’t quite add up.

  I saw the sign for Carl’s Creek approaching and turned on my blinker.

  I was done trying to figure this out on my own. And Jake was no help. It was time to find Sara and get the facts straight.

  We arrived back at the house, and I followed Jake inside. As soon as he bounded upstairs to change out of his dress clothes, I went to find Sara. She stood at the kitchen sink with her hands plunged into dirty dishwater.

  “What’s in the package?” I asked.

  “What?” She stopped scrubbing and looked at me, startled.

  “The package that came for you. What’s in it?” My voice had a sharp edge to it, and I could tell it made her uncomfortable.

  “Tess, is everything all right? What’s going on?”

  “You’re hiding something.” I slapped the countertop in frustration. “What are you hiding?”

  She pulled her hands out of the dishwater and grabbed a nearby towel. “Keep your voice down.”

  “I’m not going to keep my voice down!”

  She sighed and walked out of the kitchen, down the hall to the bottom of the stairs. “Hey, Jake?”

  “Yeah?” I heard him call from the bathroom.

  “I’m going to go to the cottage with Tess for a few minutes. Wedding stuff. I’ll be back.”

  “All right.”

  She walked back into the kitchen, tossed the towel onto the table, and opened a drawer to retrieve the package, all without looking at me. Then, she went to the screen door and paused for a second to say, “Well? Are you coming?”

  I followed her outside, and she led me to the back patio of the cottage where we sat across from one another.

  “Tess, I don’t know what you’re implying, but you’re right about one thing. I am hiding something. If you can keep a secret, I’ll show you. Can you keep a secret?”

  I nodded. Sure I could. As long as it wasn’t anything that would hurt Jake. But she knew that. It went without saying.

  She placed the package on the tabletop and slid it over to me. I opened the top of the envelope and reached inside, pulling out a small clear plastic bag. I turned the bag over in my hands. There were two pairs of crocheted booties inside.

  “Do you recognize them?” she asked.

  I pulled one of the booties out of the bag and held it between my fingers. “Yeah. They were mine. And Jake’s.” I placed it in my open palm and marveled at how small it was in my hand. “How did you get these?”

  “I asked your mom to send them to me,” she said.

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m pregnant. With twins.”

  I jumped up without even meaning to. “What?”

  “Shh.” She held a finger up to her lips. “Jake doesn’t know.”

  “What do you mean he doesn’t know?”

  She leaned back in her chair. “Well, he knows I’m pregnant. But he thinks there’s only one in there. I went to the doctor last week. He didn’t go. I didn’t think it’d be a monumental appointment. I assumed they’d weigh me and schedule me for a follow-up. You know, nothing special. But when I got there, they ended up listening for a heartbeat. And there were two. Two hearts, thumping away in there.”

  I lowered myself back onto my chair, my hands cupped over my mouth in shock. “That’s incredible.” A tear formed in the corner of my eye, and I reached up to dab it away. “It’s amazing.”

  “Don’t tell Jake. Not until I have a chance to talk to him, okay?”

  “I won’t.” I picked up another bootie and held it up. “I promise.”

  She crossed her arms. “Good. Are you satisfied?”

  I winced. “Almost. I have one more question. Well, one more question about the package, that is.”

  She raised her eyebrows in response.

  “Why did it come in your maiden name?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Tess, I love your mother, but do you know she still refuses to call me Sara Dougherty?”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “I’m not. She says she will, if we have a”—she raised her hands on either side of her head to make quotation marks with her fingers—“real wedding.”

  “Oh, Sara.”

  “Yeah. I think she’s mad she wasn’t there. I mean, I get it I guess.”

  “I’m sorry, Sara. About my mom. And me. I shouldn’t have been so pushy.” I put the bootie down on the table. “It’s just that I’ve been feeling a little out of the loop.”

  “About what?”

  I propped my feet up on a nearby empty chair. Where to even begin?

  “Well,” I said, “for starters, I just realized tonight you and Thatcher are cousins.”

  A look of concern settled on her face. “What does that have to do with anything?”

  I sucked in my breath and held it.

  Oh boy. Here we go.

  I looked at the table to avoid meeting her gaze. “I overheard something. And from what I heard, it seemed like you guys were… involved.”

  “Involved in what?”

  “Involved, like, in the romantic sense.”

  “What on earth did you hear?” Her voice became shrill.

  “I heard you guys talking up at the house. I shouldn’t have eavesdropped. I’m so sorry. But I heard something about how it should have been him? Something about needing to tell Jake? You were really upset.”

  “Oh.” She glanced at the darkening sky. “That.”

  “You remember it?”

  She fidgeted with a stray leaf that had fallen on the table. “Yeah. I remember. We were talking about the vineyard. Most days I think it should have been him. That Carl should have left it to him, I mean.”

  “Why didn’t he?”

  “It’s a long story,” she said.

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  She sighed. “I don’t like to talk about it because I know it upsets Thatcher. But he and Carl, they had a falling out of sorts. Right before he went off to college.”

  “About what?” I asked.

  “Thatcher didn’t want to be stuck here for the rest of his life. Growing up, he had all these big, crazy dreams. Sometimes it seemed like he wanted to leave for the sake of leaving. And Carl didn’t like that. He spent all those years teaching Thatcher the business. Leaving the way he did, it seemed so… reckless. That’s how Carl saw it anyway. Things got heated, and they never really reconciled.”

  Yes. I nodded to myself. Yes, that made sense. Thatcher’s biggest regret: I lost someone very important to me because of a disagreement that seems ridiculous now. I can’t undo what has been done. And I will always, always regret it.

  “So you got the vineyard because Carl was mad at Thatcher?”

  She shook her head. “No. That’s what a lot of people think. But he didn’t do it out of anger.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because Carl was never the type of person to do anything out of anger. And also, he wrote a letter to Thatcher. It was tucked in with his will. To this day I haven’t told him I read it. At first I came across it by accident. But then…” She shrugged.

 
; “What did it say?”

  “I shouldn’t. I wasn’t even supposed to read it to begin with.”

  “Who am I going to tell? Just give me the gist of it.”

  She reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Fine. Carl said he forgave Thatcher for leaving, and he didn’t want the vineyard to be a burden on him. There was a lot of personal stuff in there, too.” She looked around as she spoke, and her gaze landed on my feet, which were still propped up on the chair. I thought I detected a flash of astonishment on her face. “Tess, where did you get those boots?”

  I stared at the boots as if I were trying to remember.

  “A… uh… yard sale. I think.” I don’t know why, but the urge to lie was so strong, I couldn’t resist.

  Sara seemed strangely relieved. “Oh. They’re nice.”

  “Thanks.” I put my feet down and tucked the boots under my chair. “Why do you ask?”

  “Hmm?”

  “About the boots. Why do you ask?”

  She shrugged. “I was just asking, is all.”

  “You’re the second person today who’s asked me about them.”

  “Well, they’re nice boots, I guess.”

  Something about the way she said it seemed forced, but I didn’t press the issue. Because doing so would mean telling her about what was going on with Thatcher, and I wasn’t ready for that. Not yet.

  “Anyway,” she said, “I know Thatcher wishes he made things right while Carl was still around. There were no hard feelings, the letter was clear about that. But Thatcher never got the chance to apologize. I think that’s a little heavy for him.”

  “I can imagine,” I said.

  “There’s a lot of ugliness, too. I think that’s a big reason why he doesn’t talk about it. There are some rumors flying around.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, a lot of people think he’s suing us. To get the vineyard.”

  “Really?”

  “Uh-huh. People know about the argument, but not much else. So they jump to conclusions. Plus, you know how it is. A small town loves a good scandal.”

  “I do know,” I said. “More than you’d think. But I mean, it does seem a little unfair. Doesn’t it? That he didn’t leave Thatcher anything?”

  She scoffed. “Believe me. Thatcher has all the money he can handle.”

  At the mention of money, I remembered what Desiree said. Something about the Thatcher James fortune? So it was true, then.

  “What did he do,” I asked, “invent camouflage?”

  She gave me a small smile and shook her head. “No. His parents… he lost them when he was young. It was an accident. And there was a settlement. A really big one.”

  “That’s awful,” I said.

  “Yeah.”

  I reached across the table and tucked the booties back into the plastic bag.

  “I heard you say something else that day,” I said. “About Jake. Something about not wanting to tell him something?”

  “Yeah. I did.” She glanced over her shoulder as if to make sure he wasn’t sneaking up behind her. “Look, Tess. Things are rough for us… financially. Even before we came out here, I didn’t know how we were going to make it. And with the babies coming, we have to sell this place. It’s our only option. I’ve been trying to tell him this for a while now, but he keeps denying it. I think he’s hoping it will all fall into place somehow. But the truth is we can’t keep it.”

  “Well then why don’t you sell it? Isn’t it yours to sell?”

  “It’s not that easy. Jake is so excited about all this. You know your brother. It’s killing him living an ordinary life back home. I don’t think he’s happy there anymore. But still. We don’t have a choice.”

  I looked out at the shadows of the mountains on the horizon. It was strange how quickly I had come to love this place, too. Hearing Sara talk like this gave me a sinking feeling. I didn’t want to see the vineyard go, either.

  “Can you keep another secret?” Sara lowered her voice a little more.

  I nodded.

  “I found a buyer. A real-estate developer who wants to build an upscale resort out here. I mean, it’s not a bad idea. There’s plenty of land, that’s for sure.” She fiddled with her wedding rings. “He called this afternoon.”

  “Who?”

  “The developer. I mentioned Jake was going to the concert. Supposedly he was going, too. I think he was planning to introduce himself there.”

  “I saw someone hand Jake a business card. I bet it was him.”

  “Good.” She leaned back in her chair. “It’s not final, of course. But all I have to do is say the word. Thatcher’s been helping with the deal. The legal aspects of it, you know, all that stuff. He agrees it’s the right thing to do. And hey, maybe we can all negotiate free vacations for life.” She smiled. “Anyway, Jake doesn’t know how hard I’ve been pursuing this. It would crush him. I don’t want to do it. Please know I don’t enjoy sneaking around behind your brother’s back like this. But I don’t see any other way. I’m going to have to tell him. And I will.”

  “I understand. I hate it. But I understand.”

  “Yeah. Me too. I hate it, too.”

  We sat there in silence for a while, listening to the song of the approaching evening and reflecting on how our time here was coming to an end.

  “I should go,” Sara said with a sigh.

  “Yeah. You should. I’m sorry, again, for assuming like I did.”

  “It’s all right. You were looking out for Jake. I’m sorry to have unloaded all my secrets on you.”

  “I won’t say anything. I promise. I’m here if you need me.”

  “Thanks. You know, it felt good to get some of that out.”

  We stood, and I gave her a hug before handing her the envelope.

  “Good night, Sara.” I placed a hand on her stomach. “And good night, babies.”

  She smiled. “Good night, Aunt Tess.”

  CHAPTER 22

  There was a soft crunching sound on the gravel in front of the cottage.

  After Sara left, I stayed outside, resting with my head back in my chair, watching the stars come out and trying to sort through everything I’d learned earlier in the day. But I wasn’t alone. Something was out here with me.

  I sat up a little in my seat and listened. Yes, there it was again. Crunch, crunch. Crunch, crunch, crunch.

  It wasn’t a bear, I decided. The movement sounded much too sneaky for that. Whatever it was, whoever it was, tiptoed across the gravel. I stood from my chair and walked around the cottage to investigate.

  I could see, once I made my way to the front, that there was a shadow on the porch, near the door. There was a rustling sound, and then the shadow turned around and jumped at the sight of me.

  Thatcher.

  I was relieved to see him, but a part of me was instantly anxious because I needed to talk to him, and I didn’t know where to begin.

  “Hi,” I said. There, that was a good start.

  He looked to the left, then right, as if he were thinking about making a break for it. Then, he lifted both hands out in front of him, palms facing me. “I didn’t come here to bug you. I’m heading out, and I was leaving you a note. I’m going.”

  “Wait. Don’t go.” I walked over to him. “I’m glad you’re here. We need to talk. You want to come in?”

  He shook his head. Of course he didn’t. I deserved that.

  “Okay…” I sat on the bottom step and patted the open space beside me. “You want to sit down at least?”

  He hesitated, and then sat down one step above me, leaning over with his elbows on his knees.

  I had so much to say to him, but there was all this information swimming in my mind that I hadn’t sorted out yet. So I sat there, waiting, hoping he might speak first.

  He didn’t.

  You can do this, Tess.

  It was time to be honest. Time to be fearless. Time to tell him what I knew. And most importantly, time to tell hi
m how I felt about him. My whole body sizzled with nervous energy as I opened my mouth to speak. “I didn’t know Carl was your grandfather,” I said.

  There was no response.

  “I did know…” I fought the urge to blurt out everything in one frantic breath. “I did know there was something going on. Some kind of connection between you and this place. Can I tell you something?”

  Still nothing.

  I continued, “I overheard you and Sara talking the other day. And, I realize how ridiculous this must sound to you, but from what I heard, I got this crazy impression there was something going on between you two. I thought you were in love with her. I got protective of my brother. And of, well, me. That’s why I said those awful things to you.”

  He let out a very quiet laugh.

  “I know,” I said. “But since then, I’ve learned the truth. Or at least, what I think is the truth. I’m sorry about your grandfather, Thatcher. About the disagreement you had. About everything.”

  I looked back at him. He stared at the ground and nodded.

  “And I’m sorry for what I said to you, too.”

  “It’s all right,” he said.

  “There’s something else I should say.” I kept my focus straight ahead so I didn’t have to look at him. If I looked at him, I’d lose my nerve. “I came here because I was running away. I wanted to try a new life on for size, just for a little bit, and then take it off and go back home. Then I met you. And now everything’s different. I don’t want to lose you. Because I… I have feelings for you. Like, you know, real feelings for you.”

  It was so unlike me to feel this strongly about someone this soon, and even more unlike me to say so. It was crazy and irrational, but I couldn’t help it. And I couldn’t risk not telling him.

  Say it, Tess. Say the word.

  I took a deep breath. “I don’t want to lose you because I think… I think I’m falling in love with you.”

  I stopped talking and cringed, waiting for him to respond. Every passing second felt like an eternity.

  I heard him take a breath to say something, and then pause. He cleared his throat.

  “It’s funny,” he said, “you were running away from home, and I was coming back home. But I think in some way, we were both looking for the same thing. I think we were both looking for a distraction. That’s all this was. A little break from real life.”