Lonely Road to You (Class of '85)

by Jannine Gallant

  A square white envelope caught his eye. The postmark was Summerville, NY. “Now here's a blast from the past.”

  Libby glanced over at him before dumping a cupful of cornmeal into the ceramic mixing bowl. “What is?”

  Shifting on his perch, he pulled out his pocketknife and slit the envelope. Lifting out the card he began to read.

  Dear Fellow Alumna,

  Hard to believe it's been 25 years since we last walked the halls of Summerville High. Wouldn't you like to know what's going on with former classmates?

  The Reunion Committee has worked hard to plan a fabulous, fun-filled three day celebration on the lat weekend in June at the historic Summerville Inn. Come for one day or all three. Register early for the SHS package discount. Bring your spouse or come stag. You Won't believe the surprises waiting for you!

  RSVP: BethandRich@Heade.com

  He looked up at his mother. “Good God, it’s an invitation to my high school reunion.”

  Libby beamed. “What fun.”

  “Fun? Are you kidding? Those were some of the worst years of my life. I was a total loser in high school.”

  She scowled as she stirred the corn bread batter with brisk strokes. “You had your share of problems. It was tough on you, not having a dad around, and us barely surviving on what I made cleaning houses.”

  “Working for the snobby rich folk too cheap to pay you a decent wage.”

  Her clear blue eyes softened. “You aren’t that boy any longer, Tyler. You made your own fortune and became a star in the process. Go back there and rub their noses in it.” She slid the pan of cornbread into the oven. “Or—simply go and have a good time.”

  “Ancient history, Mom. I’m not a star anymore. I’m nothing but a rancher, and I have a foreman who does most of the work around here.”

  “You do a lot more than herd cows and you know it.”

  “Maybe. Don’t get your maternal feathers all ruffled.” He slid off the stool. “I’m going to go take a shower.”

  She fisted her hands on her ample hips. “It would do you a world of good to get away from the ranch and be sociable for a change.”

  Tyler shrugged. “I’ll think about it.”

  He left the kitchen, walked across the spacious front entry, and ran up the stairs. In his room he pulled off his T-shirt and dropped it on the floor along with his jeans. After starting the shower, he stared at himself in the bathroom mirror. He didn’t look much like the derelict boy he’d been at eighteen. The blue eyes were the same, but lines now radiated from their corners. His dark brown hair, threaded with a few strands of gray, hung to his collar instead of his shoulders. His stomach was still flat, and his arms were hard with muscle from working the ranch. Overall, he supposed he didn’t look half-bad for a forty-three year old ex-rocker.

  He stepped into the shower and lathered up, thinking about what an idiot he’d been in high school. He hadn’t cared about getting an education. His priorities had been playing his guitar and partying, and he’d done plenty of both. He grinned, thinking about the time he and his buddy, Mike, had gotten busted for underage drinking and disturbing the peace. With his guitar wailing and Mike pounding the drums, they hadn’t even heard the cops coming. He stuck his head under the shower spray to rinse off the shampoo, wondering how Mike’s life had turned out.

  Michael Stephenson had been one of his more respectable friends. The others had been as bad as Tyler—or worse. But when it came to girls, Tyler was certain he took the prize for the biggest ass of all time. Use them and lose them had been his motto. He’d slept with a few of the wilder girls, ones who liked to party and knew the score. But he hadn’t been content to stop there. He’d charmed a couple of the good girls out of their panties then left them flat. There’d been the cheerleader, Suzie something. And the rich girl who decided she wanted to take a walk on the wild side. Tyler had been happy to show her the way. What was her name?

  He turned off the shower and stepped out onto the thick bath mat. Grabbing an over-sized towel from the rack, he ran it across his chest. Chantal, that was it. She’d cried when he refused to take her to the prom. God, he’d been a jerk. Without warning, the image of a thin girl with blue eyes and a blond ponytail popped into his head. He searched his brain for a name and came up empty. She’d had a locker just down the row from his, and the look in her eyes when she worked up the courage to meet his gaze told him she was interested. But something about that wistful expression stopped him from going farther. It was probably the one time in his misspent youth he’d actually done the right thing.

  After pulling on a pair of boxers, he grabbed a fresh T-shirt from the stack in the closet and a clean pair of jeans. He finished dressing and walked to the bedroom window. In the distance, the Whitefish Mountains thrust their snowcapped peaks into the Montana sky. Down below, several horses frisked in the corral, and his foreman, Bart Johnson, crossed the yard on his way to the barn.

  This was his life now, a far cry from the city on the shore of Lake Ontario where he’d grown up. A world away from recording studios and Standing Room Only concerts. For reasons he couldn’t explain, a tightness gripped his chest when he considered revisiting the past. He wanted to know what had happened to Mike. He wanted to look both Suzie and Chantal in the eye and apologize. And maybe he wanted to show the town of Summerville the man he had become.

  He left the room and ran lightly down the stairs. Entering the kitchen, he scooped up his mother into a bear hug. She let out a screech. “My goodness, Tyler! What’s got into you?”

  “Nothing,” he said, lowering her to the floor. “I just realized you were right.”

  Libby smoothed her apron. “I usually am, but what in particular was I right about this time?”

  “I need to get away from the ranch for a while before Sophie and the first group of kids arrive. I think I will go to my high school reunion.”

  “That’s wonderful. You’re making the right decision.”

  “I hope so.” He sneaked a cherry tomato from the salad bowl on the counter and popped it into his mouth. “You haven’t heard the best part. I’m planning to take my time, see the sights along the way, and make it a real vacation. I’m going to ride my Harley back to Summerville. I left town on that bike; it’s a fitting way to return.”

  “Tyler, no! That thing is a relic, and riding any motorcycle is dangerous.”

  “I’ll be fine. I've restored every inch of it, and it’s in perfect condition. There isn’t a thing for you to worry about.”

  “I don’t know.”

  He gave her shoulder a pat. “You’ll see. What could possibly go wrong?”

  Chapter Two

  Forks of lightning scored the charcoal gray sky, briefly illuminating the narrow canyon road. Towering pines swayed in the wind; thunder boomed overhead in a deafening echo. It was only late afternoon, but the pouring rain lowered visibility to next to nothing. In the backseat, Lucy howled.

  Nerves shattered, Kate swore under her breath. She hadn’t intended to drive more than a few miles off the freeway, but the red tailed hawk drifting on the air currents lured her farther and farther into Montana’s Garnet Range, enticing her with the prospect of discovering its nest. Enthralled with the wild beauty surrounding her, she never noticed the build-up of clouds until all hell broke loose in the mother of thunder storms.

  Through the downpour she spied some sort of intersection up ahead. Hopefully she would find a sign directing her to the nearest town. The thought of a hot meal and a dry place to rest made her press down on the accelerator. Without warning, a blinding flash of lightning streaked across the sky, revealing in an instant the outline of an oncoming vehicle.

  Too late, she stomped on the brakes and sent the car into a skid. Instinct had her wrenching the wheel to the right. For a moment she hoped she might miss the motorcycle, but a hard jolt, then the sickening sound of metal on metal proved her wrong. The seatbelt dug into her chest as she was flung forward and the car came to a grinding stop.
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br />   Kate spared the whining Lucy an anxious glance before throwing open the car door to step out into the teeming rain. Her headlights illuminated a crumpled heap of twisted metal. Frantically she looked around, trying to spot the rider. A faint sound came from the ditch on the opposite side of the road. She sprinted through the rain, dropping to her knees beside a figure dressed in black leather.

  “Oh my God, are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay. Oh Lord. Oh God.” Teeth chattering like a pair of magpies, she sent up a prayer as the man swore and rolled onto his back.

  “Should you move? Maybe you shouldn’t move. You could have some sort of spinal injury. God, I can’t believe I hit you.”

  The man sunk his gloved hands into the dirt and pushed himself up onto his elbows. “Jesus, lady, you’re giving me a headache. Do you mind helping me out of this mud?”

  Kate chewed her bottom lip. “Are you sure you should move?”

  “Positive.”

  She scooted around behind his back to support him as he sat up. He grunted and hung his head, breathing deeply. After a minute, he unfastened the chin piece on his helmet and dropped it into the muck. It landed with a splat.

  “Maybe not the smartest move. Now your head will be wet, too.”

  “A little rain isn’t my biggest problem,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “I suppose you’re right. Do you think you can stand?”

  “We’re about to find out.”

  She wrapped her arm around his leather clad waist and braced herself as he slowly rose. When he shifted his weight onto his left foot, his knees buckled. Planting her feet in the slippery mud, she strained to hold him upright.

  “Shit! Shit! Shit! Mother fu—” He stopped, his voice trailing off.

  “I’ve heard worse,” she said. “Is it your knee or your ankle?”

  “Ankle.”

  “Sprained or broken?”

  “I don’t know, but it hurts like a mother. Come around to my other side, and let’s see if I can move.”

  Kate did as he asked, holding him in a tight grip. “Ready?”

  He nodded. Leaning heavily against her shoulder, he stepped up out of the ditch and hobbled across the road. He paused beside the mangled motorcycle. “It’s a good thing I bailed when I did.”

  She shuddered, then pushed her dripping hair out of her face. “Can we talk about it in the car?”

  He grunted and moved forward to the passenger door. Once she had it open, he dropped onto the cream colored leather seat. Lucy let loose a series of earsplitting barks.

  The man whipped his head around. “Jesus, that mutt nearly gave me a heart attack. Is it a dog or an animated mop?”

  Lucy glared at him through a tangle of red fur. “Her bark is definitely worse than her bite.” Kate shut the door and ran around to the driver’s side. A moment later she was in the blessedly dry interior of the Mercedes. Hands shaking, she grabbed her purse and pulled out her cell phone.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, glancing warily over his shoulder. Lucy growled low in her throat.

  “Calling 911.”

  “Don’t bother. There’s no reception around here.”

  She stared at the phone’s blank screen. “You’ve got to be kidding!”

  “I wish.” He blinked when she snapped on the interior light. “Let’s just hope your car is still functioning because the Harley’s toast.”

  Kate stared at him. Dark hair plastered to his scalp and the side of his face. His nose was straight, his jaw strong, and his lips an unsmiling tight line. Dark blue eyes stared back at her from a deeply tanned face. Her heart nearly stopped.

  “Tyler North,” she whispered.

  He sighed. “Not much point in denying it. Look, can we get out of here before I start signing autographs?”

  She clamped her teeth together to keep them from chattering. “There’s no need to be sarcastic.”

  Her soaked blouse clung to her like a second skin. She tore her gaze away from the man who’d been the object of all her teenage fantasies and reached into the backseat for her windbreaker. “Hush, Lucy,” she said, giving the dog an absent pat.

  He turned and stared through the windshield and suddenly stiffened. “Oh hell.”

  She paused with her arm halfway through the jacket sleeve. “What? What’s wrong?”

  “My guitar. I didn’t see my guitar case on what’s left of my bike.”

  Kate relaxed and closed the zipper. “The guitar can be replaced. I’m just thankful you weren’t killed.”

  “No thanks to you, lady.” He opened the door and put his right foot out onto the road.”

  Kate screeched, “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “Looking for my guitar.”

  “My God, if it’s that important, I’ll go find it. You stay in the car. For all we know, your ankle could be broken.”

  She flipped up the hood on her windbreaker and stepped out of the car. Hurrying past the crumpled motorcycle, she scanned the roadside until she found a dark shape tilted drunkenly into the ditch. Slopping through a puddle in her sandals, she pulled the guitar case up onto the road and spied an over-sized duffel bag a short distance away. Planting her feet, she leaned down and pulled it out of the ditch. Two broken bungee cords dangled from its handles. Carrying the precious guitar case and dragging the duffel, she headed back to the car.

  “Is it damaged?” Tyler asked after she opened the door.

  “How the heck would I know? At least it’s in one piece.” She lifted both items onto the backseat where Lucy waited to give them a cautious sniff. “I’ll be right back.”

  She shut the door and hurried across the road. After retrieving his helmet, she ran back to survey the damage to her car. One headlight was broken; the bumper was scratched and dented. Otherwise, it didn’t appear to be too badly damaged. Stepping around the wreckage, she grabbed the handlebars of the Harley to disentangle it from her bumper. Her muscles screamed in protest as she dragged the bike a few feet closer to the edge of the road. It was the best she could do.

  After sliding back into the car, she tossed the helmet onto the duffel bag then turned to face him. “Anything else before we go looking for civilization?”

  “There’s a town maybe fifteen miles from here.”

  He was lying back in his seat, eyes closed. Black lashes fanned out on cheeks that looked pale beneath his tan. Thankfully, Lucy had stopped growling.

  Tyler North was sitting in her passenger seat. The Tyler North. She felt like pinching herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. “Are you okay?”

  “I’ve been better.”

  “I have Ibuprofen if you want it.”

  “Please.” He opened his eyes as she pulled the bottle from her purse and shook two tablets into his hand. He swallowed them dry. “Thanks, now let’s get the hell out of here.”

  Mentally crossing her fingers, she turned the key in the ignition and sighed in relief when the engine caught. Shifting into first gear, she let out the clutch and eased around the Harley. Picking up speed, she left the intersection behind.

  “I’m Kate, by the way.”

  “Well, Kate, you make a hell of an impact.”

  She glanced his way and frowned. “That accident wasn’t entirely my fault. You came out of nowhere.”

  “I came out of the trees, the same as you did. Maybe we were both going a little too fast for the conditions. I didn’t see you, either.”

  “I’m not usually a careless driver, but between the rain and Lucy’s howling—” Her voice trailed off. “Oh, thank heavens! I see the freeway up ahead.”

  “It’s a few miles to a town of any size.”

  She nodded and took the ramp onto the interstate. “You seem to know the area. Do you live around here?”

  “Not really.”

  When he didn’t elaborate, her temper flared. “Look, Mr. North, yes I recognized you, but I’m not some sort of crazed fan or reporter intent on revealing your whereabouts to the tabloids. I was
simply making polite conversation.”

  He released a long breath. “Sorry. Reticence is a bad habit of mine. Please call me Tyler, and no I’m not from around here, but I am familiar with the area. I live about a hundred and fifty miles to the north.”

  “I guess neither one of us is at our best right now. Is that a town?” she asked as she spied a few houses scattered south of the freeway.

  “Not so as you’d notice. The next one actually has a motel and a diner.”

  She gave him a weak smile. “Then by all means, let’s forge onward.”

  They were quiet as they drove through the gathering dusk. The clock on the dashboard read six thirty-eight, but it seemed later because of heavy cloud cover blocking the dying sun. Every now and then Kate sneaked a glance at the man in her passenger seat. She'd hit Tyler North.

  Tiny sizzles of awareness zipped down her spine. Twenty-five years ago she would have killed to have him sitting beside her. She’d come a long way from the painfully shy girl she’d been in high school, but she still wasn’t immune to this man’s attraction.

  “That must be the town you mentioned,” she said. “I see lights up ahead.”

  Tyler opened his eyes. “Yeah, that’s Red Hawk.”

  “How appropriate. A red tailed hawk is what got me into this mess.”

  He gave her a curious look but didn’t respond as she left the freeway and entered the town, following what was obviously the main drag. They passed a gas station with an attached garage bay, the promised diner and a few other businesses. She slowed as they approached a motel.

  “I think there’s a medical clinic about a block up. If you don’t mind dropping me off, I think I should get my ankle checked.”

  “Of course I don’t mind.” She saw the sign for the clinic and pulled into the parking area in front of a small white building. “I’m afraid we’re too late. It looks closed.”