by Hunter Shea
Kate felt the tears spring in her eyes. “Come here.” She pulled him in for as much of a crushing hug as she could muster. “Thank you so much. Every time I think I love you as much as I possibly can, you go and do something that makes me love you more.”
“Don’t love me too much. I’m fragile.”
Chapter Twenty
Andrew had spent the entire previous day cleaning the cottage, both inside and out. Kate kept trying to help, and he had to keep insisting she get her butt to bed and enjoy her time as a passive observer. She was as stubborn as a mule. Every time he left the living room to tackle something, he’d rush back in to find her washing dishes or attempting to order his kindling pile. He’d command her to return to her spot on the bed and get back to work. The bouncing back and forth was exhausting, Kate never realizing that her attempts to help actually made things more difficult.
But she was clearly happier than he’d seen her since the day he’d carried her over the cottage’s threshold. There was no way he was going to harsh that mellow.
When Kate called the cops a few days ago, he’d rushed outside to dispose of the dead rabbit and cover up the squirrels. His fear was they would talk about it in front of Kate and how much more that would upset her. If having the deputy approach the teens he thought were harassing them didn’t work, Andrew could always reveal it to him later.
For once, good fortune was on their side. The night visitations had stopped, and Andrew had bought a shovel from town and buried the bodies, feeling like he was in some kind of horror movie, the day of the burial dark and gloomy, with thunder rolling on the horizon.
So now he sat in his car outside Portland International Jetport, waiting for Ryker and Nikki to arrive. Before he left for Portland, he’d gone to the market and stocked up on enough food and drinks to last a week. He’d even bought a portable grill, the old kind his father used to take with them on picnics when Andrew was a kid. It had been a long time since he’d cooked with charcoal and lighter fluid. When he’d bought a gas grill for his own house, his father had remarked, “Food won’t taste as good. Everyone knows proper barbecue needs a hint of that lighter fluid flavor.”
He’d even found what looked like a little pop-up store two towns over that sold fireworks. As it turned out, you could buy and use fireworks in the majority of towns in Maine, Bridge Mills being one of them. He’d spent a hundred dollars on some colorful rockets. He wasn’t a fan of the big-explosions ordinance, like M-80s and cherry bombs. Neither was Kate. It would be nice to set a few rockets off by the dock, the sparkles illuminating the darkened lake.
Listening to a rock station (Why don’t they have stations this good in New York, the biggest radio audience in the country?) Andrew checked his work email on his phone for the first time since leaving Jersey. His inbox had over a thousand messages.
A thousand.
What would it be like when he got back?
The knock on his window nearly made him drop his phone.
Ryker had his face pressed against the glass, distorting his features.
“Didn’t mean to wake you,” he said, laughing.
Andrew got out and gave him a hug. Ryker had let his hair grow, his thick black shag slicked back and tied in a bun. His overly large, perfect teeth were so white, they were blinding, even in the midday sun. It was a smile meant to dazzle, and dazzle it did. People paid good money for that smile, a smile that said anything was possible if you set your intentions right.
What Andrew called psychobabble for the masses, Ryker called success.
“You are a sight for sore eyes,” Andrew said. “I see you’ve hitched your wagon to the man-bun craze. I thought you were a leader, not a follower.”
Ryker’s eyes rolled upward. “Totally Nikki’s idea. She likes it. I’m not crazy about it, but if I avoid mirrors, out of sight, out of mind.”
“Speaking of Nikki, where is she?”
People were streaming out of the arrivals gates, lugging bags on wheels.
“She had to make a quick pit stop to the loo, as her people say.”
Andrew stowed their luggage in the trunk. He clapped Ryker on the shoulder. “Her people will be your people once you start having babies.”
“Don’t rush me, big guy. We’re having too much fun right now.”
Kate and her mother were eagerly waiting for grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. All of the pressure was on Ryker and Nikki, but you’d never know it when you spoke to them about it. Andrew liked to kid him because he knew how much guff Ryker got for not getting to work on the next generation.
Ryker waved his arms. “Over here!”
Nikki emerged, looking as if she’d just stepped off the hair-and-makeup chair on a movie set. She was as stunning as ever, her long red hair flowing over her shoulders, piercing green eyes taking in what passed for the hustle and bustle of Portland, which was a far cry from the airports in New York, where they lived.
She saw Andrew, broke into a run, and leaped into his arms.
“Andy, how have you been?” she exclaimed, planting a kiss on his cheek.
“I’ve been. Have a nice flight?”
He opened the door for her and she slipped into the backseat. “It was, once I got a few vodka tonics in me. Flying is absolute shite these days. I keep telling Ryker he needs to book more gigs so we can buy a private plane.”
They all settled into the car.
Ryker said, “And I tell her the day I spend all my money on a private plane is the day you have me committed.”
“Oh, pooh,” Nicola said, playfully slapping the back of Ryker’s seat.
Andrew pulled away from the airport and merged onto I-95. They made small talk, Nicola’s sense of humor as salty as ever. It was what had attracted her to Ryker in the first place. A smart, good-looking woman who could make a sailor blush was a dream come true for his brother-in-law.
Hopping off the highway and making their way to Route 302, Ryker got serious and asked, “So tell me, how is she? Whenever I talk to her, she says she’s fine, but she doesn’t sound fine. I think she won’t use Skype because she doesn’t want me to see her. Easier to keep up the lie that way.”
Nikki sat forward, her head between them. She said, “I long ago gave up asking their mum about her. It’s like talking to the fucking old Berlin Wall. I know she dotes on Ryker, but she can be a real prig when it comes to Katy.”
Katy.
Ryker and Nikki were the only people in the world she allowed to call her that.
Andrew drew in a deep, tired breath. He’d known they were going to have this conversation before they got to the cabin. Being the bearer of bad news was never fun.
“She’s not good,” he said.
Nikki covered her mouth, eyes wide. Ryker sat up straighter in his seat.
“How bad?” Ryker asked.
“Look, it’s not life and death now. Not like before. But she’s been real sick. Her immune system is shot to hell. I’m not sure she even has one. The new treatment is a horror show. She had it almost two months ago and she’s still suffering from the aftereffects. The doctors are giving her the summer for her body to kind of recharge and recover. But when we get back in September, she has to go through it all again.”
Ryker asked what was involved in the treatments, and Andrew told him about the needles, each one large and filled with what was essentially poison. His brother-in-law’s permanent smile turned into the very rarest of frowns.
Andrew said, “I guess the one good thing you can say about it is that it’s not chemo.”
The word hung over them like a suspended nuclear warhead. They all had been through Kate’s struggles and knew what chemo meant. It meant last chances, organ transplants, and so much worse.
“How is she holding up mentally?” Nicola said. “The poor girl. She’s already been through so much. It has to be wearing her down. We
aring you both down.”
She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.
“She’s as good as you can expect anyone in her situation to be. Better than most.”
Ryker said, “I’m always on the lookout for doctors that are making huge strides in treating autoimmune diseases. I sent Katy over a few to look at a couple months ago, but she never got back to me. I didn’t want to push and upset her.”
Andrew chuckled, breaking some of the tension. “That’s your sister. Stubborn to a fault. She never even told me about them, which means she has no desire to see more doctors.”
“Even if they can help?” Nicola said.
“In her mind, they all just look at her as a lab rat. They poke and prod and sometimes hurt her, and then declare there’s nothing they can do for her. Trust me, we’ve had this conversation before, and she’s just done with them.”
Ryker shook his head, a fist tapping his knee. “Maybe for now, but I’ll break her down.”
“Good luck. Hopefully your powers of persuasion are better than mine.”
“Hey, it’s what I’m paid for.”
They moved on to lighter subjects. Nikki marveled at the quaint small towns they passed along the way. Then she started telling dirty jokes, and Ryker filled the car with raucous laughter.
Andrew just smiled. They were exactly what Kate needed now. He hoped their positive energy would completely dispel the strange air around the cottage and lift Kate’s spirits so they could really get down to enjoying their summer together.
* * *
Kate might have felt like sleeping, but she’d forced herself to shower, put on a nice sundress (that she didn’t remember packing), and break out her makeup bag. She was excited to see Ryker and Nicola. Even Buttons seemed less lethargic.
Andrew had done an amazing job on the house. It was spotless, champagne chilling in a tall popcorn bowl he’d found under the sink. Once she had herself all made up, there was nothing to do but wait for them to arrive.
And don’t even think of taking a nap.
She knew if she did, she’d be dead to the world and looking like a hot mess when they got here. It was hard enough being in a room with Nikki on her best days, wondering if Andrew thought he’d drawn the short straw.
He loves you and would never think that. And Nikki is the sweetest sister-in-law I could have asked for. It’s not her fault she looks like a freaking Victoria’s Secret model.
No, it wasn’t, and it was unfair to even think that way. Kate laughed. She could always blame it on the meds.
At a little after one, she heard the key slip into the lock on the front door. Andrew had been keeping all of the doors locked since the rock-throwing night. Kate got up from the chair, legs a little unsteady, heart racing – but for once it was because she was excited and happy.
The door swung open and Ryker burst into the cottage, followed by a smiling Nikki, with Andrew bringing up the rear, bags in tow (like Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation, she thought, giggling).
“Katy!”
Buttons went for Ryker, hopping excitedly around his legs.
Ryker swept her off her feet, his strong arms wrapped around her waist.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” she said.
“Once Andrew called and invited us, there was no way we were going anywhere else.” He put her down but she was immediately bowled over by Nikki.
“My sister from another mister,” Nikki cooed. “You look great, Katy.”
“I wish. I love your earrings.”
Nikki flicked the dangling jewels. “These are a make-up gift from your brother for forgetting our anniversary.”
Ryker, who had gone out the sliding door and was admiring the lake from the porch, said, “I didn’t forget. I was at that seminar in Denver, and by the time I got back to my room, it was too late to call.”
Arching a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, Nikki said, “Like I said, he forgot. If he hadn’t, I would have gotten my usual roses and gold bracelet. The price tag is in direct proportion to the guilt.”
Kate said, “I wish Andrew would forget our anniversary every now and then.”
He came over and kissed her cheek. “Oh, I’ll get you earrings then, but I don’t think they’ll exactly measure up.” Grabbing the dripping bottle of champagne, he said, “Shall we start things off right?”
After popping the cork, he poured champagne into four water glasses. The cottage hadn’t come equipped with champagne flutes. Ryker and Nicola might have money and be world travelers, but they didn’t give a fig about stuffy propriety. They clinked glasses.
“To an awesome Independence Day with my favorite sister,” Ryker said.
“I’m your only sister.”
He added, “Who never needed to work hard to be my favorite.”
They all laughed and drank. Even Kate had a small sip of champagne. Their laughter sounded so strange in the cottage. Strange and welcome and invigorating. Pained joints, tired bones and overtaxed organs couldn’t keep Kate from smiling.
* * *
“Come here, big sis,” Ryker said, pulling her into the bedroom. His and Nikki’s suitcases had been stacked beside the dresser. The room smelled of Nikki’s perfume – something French and floral.
They sat on the bed, her brother tenderly holding her hands in his. Nikki and Andrew were in the dining room, having a drink and talking about some British TV show that he’d found recently and loved.
“Nice man bun,” Kate said with a roll of her eyes.
“Happy wife, happy life,” he said, looking like he hated it as much as she did. “How are you feeling?” Before she could answer, he held up a hand. “And don’t tell me fine. I can see you’re not fine. Be honest with me. I can take it.”
She sighed, feeling the defenses she put up on a daily basis start to weaken.
“I’ve been better,” she said.
“Andy says the doctor talked about chemo.”
She bristled. Even hearing the word made her anxious and scared. “It won’t come to that.”
Ryker rubbed her hand. “I’ll pray every day it doesn’t. So, what are the mad doctors doing to get you better?”
She told him about the treatment and the shots in and around her spine. He winced.
“Jesus, I’m sorry you had to go through that. That must have hurt like hell.”
“That’s putting it mildly. And naturally it’s experimental because nothing about me is ever close to normal.”
His fist thumped the mattress. “I really wish I could take all of this on for you. It’s totally unfair that you have to get every damn genetic disorder our dysfunctional family can muster, and I can’t even catch a cold.”
She smiled. “That’s what older siblings do. We protect the young and weak.”
They shared a quiet laugh.
“Are you at least still meditating?” he asked.
That made her remember the first time she’d tried to meditate in the cottage and the weird feeling that had come over her.
“As a matter of fact, I think even you will find this kinda trippy.”
She recounted the entire session to him – how she conjured the word fever and chipped away at it, willing it to depart from her body. The raging fire that had erupted within her, coalescing into a hot ball of agony in her gut before bursting from her, leaving her spent and cold.
When she was done, his brow was furrowed and he was lost in thought.
“Oh, and I have a new kind of feel. I call them microwave feels,” she said.
“Microwave feels?”
“Whatever they put into my spine surfaces every now and again, and it feels like I’m being cooked from the inside out. Hence…”
“Microwave feels.”
“Yep. They feel way worse than bad feels, but without the lingering shadow man.”<
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Ryker shook his head. “You still see the shadows?”
True, she’d never told Andrew about the shadows, but she had been very open with Ryker about them. He never flinched or said she was crazy or high, even if he thought it. She felt guilty about hiding it from her husband, but wives had to have some secrets. She’d been so overexposed to him and a bevy of doctors and nurses, it made her feel less like an outsider to keep a few things from him, like every other married woman she knew.
“Not up here, which is a good thing. No, instead of shadows, I get a funky vibe off this place. You feel anything?”
“Just concern for you. Even if there was some weird energy here, I don’t think it could cut through my apprehension.”
“You need to stop worrying about me.”
“I will when you’re all better.”
She gave him a hug, so grateful to Andrew that he’d brought Ryker here. She didn’t know what she’d do without the two most important men in her life.
Ryker rubbed her shoulders and said, “Now, back to that weird meditation. Has it happened to you since that first time?”
“To be honest, I’ve kinda stayed away from meditating. It really freaked me out.”
He nodded. “Understandable. That would flip me out too. You’re going through a lot. I think where you may have gone wrong was focusing on a negative. We can both agree a fever is a negative, right?”
“It sure as hell is.”
“Which means you gathered this negative energy around you. I don’t know what the heck that burning sensation was. It’s probably a coincidence that that stuff the doctors put in you reared its head at that moment. Whatever, the combo was powerful. So powerful, you may have attracted negative energy in the process.”
Kate sighed. “So I brought whatever strangeness on myself?”
“Not intentionally,” he was quick to add. “But if there’s something out there or in here that’s a tad on the dark side of things, your meditation may have called it over like a dinner bell.”
She wasn’t crazy about the dinner bell analogy, but she was feeling lighter just talking to him. “So, I’ve somehow attracted this bad juju, whether it be in the form of a person, place, or thing. Right?”
