by Pamela Morsi
“I could have trapped Greg,” she said.
“Greg? He’s your broken engagement guy?”
She nodded. “He’s a school principal,” she said. “My former school principal. He’s a pretty conservative guy. Very scandal averse. If I’d gotten pregnant, he would have married me immediately.”
“Are you sorry that you didn’t?”
She laughed lightly. “No. When I get a crazy idea like that, I imagine how much worse it would have been for him to have fallen for someone else after he was married to me.”
Piney puffed out a negative sigh and shook his head. “So much worse,” he agreed.
She looked straight at him then, her brown eyes all intellect and sympathy. “Is that what happened to you two?” she asked. “While your wife was out partying, she fell for someone else?”
“In a way,” Piney said, hedging vaguely.
He never talked about his ex-wife. He didn’t need to. In Marrying Stone, as well as most of the surrounding county, everyone knew the truth as well as he did, maybe better. For years he’d waited for Tree to ask questions, but even his son seemed to have all the answers.
Jesse did not. And somehow, he didn’t want to think of her hearing it from the gossips.
“Shauna fell crazy in love with OxyContin,” he said. “Oh, she had her little flings with weed and crack. But it was Oxy that she wanted for her happily-ever-after.”
“OxyContin? The drug?”
Piney nodded. “Around here they call it Hillbilly Heroin. My ex was an addict.”
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“Thanks,” he answered.
They began filling the jars with the chopped vegetables. Then they poured in enough of the pickling brine to cover them. The subject of his marriage was no longer under discussion, but Piney felt strongly that he wanted to admit something more.
“She kept me out of medical school.”
“What?”
“I’d planned to be a doctor. It was all I’d wanted for my life, my childhood dream, the be-all, end-all of my ambition.”
He didn’t know if she understood what that meant to him, but she was nodding as if she did.
“Medical school is very competitive. And no matter how good your grades are, a wife with multiple arrests involving prescription drugs doesn’t make you a very good candidate.”
“Piney, I am so sorry,” she said.
He grinned at her. “Trust me, nobody was more sorry for me than I was for myself. I came home, took care of my son, took care of my parents. I finally got into the Physician’s Assistant program in Springfield. And that’s all been good. Being a P.A. is a very hands-on kind of patient care. I provide a much needed service to the people right here in my community. I have a lot of job satisfaction. And I have Tree, as well. So, no complaints about how things turned out.”
“Good,” she said. “I’m glad. ’Cause I think you’re pretty cool.”
“Hah! You only say that relative to all the boiling cauldrons around us.”
Once they got all the lids on the jars and wiped the rims, they carefully arranged them on the rack in the canner and added enough boiling water to cover them with an inch to spare.
Jesse set the timer.
The two stood there together, leaning against the counter. Piney recalled how strange and on edge he’d felt when they’d arrived. Now he was completely comfortable. It was pleasant, relaxing to be here beside her. He liked the look of her. She was attractive, but it was more than that. Most women were attractive, in one way or another. Nature seemed to have almost ensured that even a woman with a face as plain as homemade soap would have a nice smile or great gams. And an obese woman with skin problems could have an alluring voice or gorgeous hair. Piney had long ago decided that what made women desirable was not a standard of attractiveness, but specific preferences hardwired in each man. The everyman ones, like breasts and butts and legs, were uniquely prioritized. A breast man could overlook a flat backside and a butt admirer wasn’t bothered by getting shortchanged in the cup size. And every other possible feature, from crowning glory down to foot fetish rated differently with each guy.
Piney had never been particularly picky. But then, he thought to himself, beggars could not be choosers. But if he were choosing, a woman like Jesse would be high on his list. He liked the way she moved. Those long arms and legs were graceful, fluid. Just repositioning pots on the stove was as elegant as a ballet.
She leaned now against the kitchen counter, completely relaxed and unselfconscious. There was no affectation about her. It was as if she were totally unaware of how sexy she was. That somehow made her seem even hotter.
One long tendril of hair, as brown as the back of an autumn oak leaf, and curly from the cooking steam, had escaped her ponytail. He wanted to rescue it, to feel it between his fingers and tuck it safely behind her ear. He resisted the temptation. She was not threatened by him. If he made a move on her too soon, she’d build barriers.
Too soon?
His own thought startled him. Was he thinking about getting involved with her? Was he planning on it? That would be a very bad idea. He liked Jesse. She was funny and interesting. And she was okay, in so many ways. Some jerk had just broken her heart. The last thing she needed was for Piney to do the same.
He was suddenly desperate to leave the room.
“I should find out where the kids are,” he said.
Jesse eyed him skeptically. “They’re not exactly kids anymore,” she told him. “And I’ll bet that if they’re not still playing in the snow, they’ve snuck off to be alone.”
Piney nodded. “That’s exactly what I worry about,” he told her. He made a comedic, wild-eyed face meant to convey his own understanding of frantic parenthood.
Jesse laughed, just like he’d hoped she would.
“I can’t help it,” he said. “Worrying is what dads do.”
“Yeah, I suppose so,” she agreed. “You know, Camryn thinks you don’t like her.”
Piney was stopped short by that and genuinely taken aback. He liked everybody. Or at least he always pretended to. Being the face of the clinic, he had to be “friendly” with everyone. No one could ever think that they or their medical issues were not welcome. Personal feelings had to be set aside. What he did was not a business, it was a community resource.
“I have never said a word against Camryn,” he assured her. “And I wouldn’t. I think she’s a perfectly nice girl.”
“But…?”
Jesse let the question hang out there momentarily.
“But, she’s probably not the best distraction for my son,” he said. “Tree is going off to college next year. It’s what he’s always wanted. It’s what we’ve always worked toward.”
“And girlfriends and college don’t mix?” she asked.
“He’s only seventeen,” Piney pointed out. “I don’t want him to get so involved with her that he can’t leave her behind.”
“Would he have to leave her behind?” Jesse looked at him thoughtfully. “I understand they are both really young for anything serious. But I’ve seen plenty of high school romances that spurred students to try college for themselves.”
Piney shrugged. “I don’t think Camryn is that interested in education,” he said. “She only decided to go back to high school because all of her friends were there.”
“My point exactly,” Jesse said. “If all of her friends go to college, or even just her very best friend, she could decide to do the same.”
Piney shook his head. “If only it were that easy,” he said. “College costs money. Even state college is hugely expensive. I’ve been saving for years so that Tree can go. And still, it will be tough if a basketball scholarship doesn’t materialize.”
Jesse nodded.
“Marcy Broody is a fine, good person. But she barely ekes out a living at that little health food store. She’s going to expect Camryn to fend for herself.”
Jesse frowned. “Is that why she gets so annoy
ed with me when I talk about it?”
“Probably,” Piney replied. “It probably feels disloyal to say, ‘I can’t afford it and my mom won’t help me.’”
Jesse gave him a pained expression. “I guess I wasn’t thinking,” she said with a sigh. “What about Camryn’s father?”
Piney shook his head. “Gone. Moved on. For years Marcy tried to get him to pay the child support he’d agreed to in court. I think she finally decided that it was costing her more than she was recovering. He lives in Jonesboro, remarried with a couple of little kids. I think his failure to take responsibility was one of the reasons that Aunt Will decided to move up to the cabin and let Marcy use the place next to the road for a store. The Broodys are part of Aunt Will’s family, not Marcy’s.”
“I thought about everybody is related up here,” Jesse said with a grin.
“Yeah, I know you ‘flatlanders’ have your jokes,” he said. “If a couple gets married in Arkansas and gets divorced in California, does it mean they’re not still brother and sister?”
“Oooo, bad,” Jesse said.
Piney nodded. “That’s why we keep such close tabs on our kinship,” he said. “Nobody wants any mistakes to be made.”
The cooking timer rang, turning their attention back to the stove.
“Let’s get these jars of piccalilli out of their ‘water bath’ and you can help me go look for the kids,” he said. “We can make sure no mistakes of any kind are being made.”
18
Jesse was up at dawn on Saturday morning. The snow was only left in shady patches and the temperature hovered just above the freezing mark. The trees were bare and the view of the valley from the windows was shrouded in fog. In all aspects it was a typical morning on the mountain, but for her it was a day of celebration.
She came down the loft ladder as a woman on a mission. She was getting the horrible poultice off her chest for now and forever. Quietly she hummed a rock anthem that championed her new life.
In the kitchen she soaked the corner of the dry, stinking home remedy until she could get her hands under it. And then, like Aunt Will on that very first day, she ripped it from her chest in one stunning, stinging stroke.
Momentarily the pain took her breath away. Then it came back in an inward gasp, followed by a whoosh that was both soreness and relief.
Gratefully she threw it into the trash pail. She felt better. But she could still smell it, of course. After stoking the banked fire back to life and putting on the coffee, she decided to carry out the garbage.
Jesse put on her coat and boots and stepped out into the clean, fresh air of the morning. Lilly June roused from her place on the porch couch and followed her down the dark gray path to where the trash was buried. The morning seemed crisp, clean and full of possibilities. She recognized that enthusiasm for the day as something that she had missed. And she’d missed it longer than she expected. Sorting through memories, she could not associate it with the time of her unemployment. She’d loved teaching. That had been something to get her eagerly out of bed. Being Greg’s fiancée and planning their wedding had been great, it had been fun. But it hadn’t been as fulfilling as her job.
That thought gave her momentary pause. But the sun peeking through the edges of the trees, catching the glint of the frost that lingered there, was too beautiful to waste on sad rumination. Instead, she began humming her tune again.
The place Aunt Will referred to as “the dump” was an existing sinkhole about a hundred yards west of the garden. The space was divided into three sections, things that had to be burned, things that had to be buried and things that could be composted. Because of the old woman’s self-reliance and her distance from stores, the latter was by far the largest.
Happily Jesse threw the hated poultice onto the composting pile before turning back toward the cabin.
There was a lightness in her step that she credited to finally seeing the last of the disgusting lovesick cure. Still the stink lingered around her. She remembered what Piney had said. Sponge baths in the sink were not going to be enough. Serious soaking would be required to eradicate the stench. Today was the start of that, she vowed to herself. As soon as she could get free, she was going down the mountain to find a bathtub.
Back in the cabin the coffee was ready. Jesse was pouring herself a cup when Aunt Will came out of her bedroom.
“Have you got a portion of that for me, DuJess?”
“Coming up,” Jesse told her.
“You’re feeling pretty chipper this morning,” the old woman said. “I heard you coming from bed with a tune on your lips.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Aunt Will nodded wisely. “It’s that poultice,” she said. “I swear the dang thing works ever time.”
“I’m pretty happy to be done with it,” Jesse told her.
Aunt Will chuckled. “You’re not the only one,” she said. “That smear is a pure punishment for ever soul in the house.”
While her aunt drank her coffee by the fire, Jesse went to the barn to milk. The chores were becoming second nature to her. She would not have imagined that only a week out of the city she’d have made so much progress toward farm girl.
Even Cussy was getting used to it. The old cow gave her one long-suffering look as Jesse positioned her stool and didn’t bother swishing her tail at her more than a couple of times.
Afterward, she let the cow out to forage and carried the scant pail of milk back to the kitchen.
Aunt Will was on her second cup of coffee and Camryn was slicing bacon for the frying pan. She seemed as happy and cheerful as Jesse felt.
By the time the milk had been strained and the containers washed up, the bacon was frying and Camryn was out gathering eggs. It was full daylight when the three sat down to breakfast.
“I’m going down the mountain this afternoon,” Jesse announced. “It won’t take me too long. Maybe I’ll go during naptime.”
“I’m thinking I’ll go home today,” Camryn said. “I mean if that’s okay with you, Aunt Will.”
The old woman reached over and patted the teenager’s hand. “Yes, you’ve been punished enough,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed having you here. And DuJess has, as well. It’s given her someone to talk to who’s more her own age.”
Jesse saw Camryn’s eyes widen in shock at that idea.
“Uh, yeah. Sure.”
“And stop fretting so much about your fellow,” Aunt Will said. “I see you two together for a long, long time. But first, Cammy, you’ve got to grow up a bit. A woman needs to live a single life before she can appreciate a married one. It’s no sacrifice to give up freedom you never had.”
“Okay,” Camryn answered.
The answer was perfunctory. Jesse was sure the young girl didn’t have a clue. But she felt pretty clueless herself. She’d been willing to give up everything for Greg. And he’d decided he didn’t want her. What was that about?
Jesse bit into a piece of crisp bacon determined not to waste another morning thinking about it. She pushed herself toward more happy thoughts, like the soon-to-be-realized fantasy of soaking in hot water up to her neck.
The busy morning ultimately yielded to afternoon. With Aunt Will fed and warm and resting her feet on Lilly June, Jesse and Camryn headed out. Without even a discussion, they avoided the vehicle approach, which would get them more directly to the health food store, in preference for the down-mountain path that led to the clinic. The snow had disappeared, except for a patch here and there. And the path was muddy. There was not a great opportunity for discussion, but Jesse wanted to have a bit of conversation.
“You know Aunt Will is right,” she told her.
“Right about what?”
“You and Tree need to establish your own lives before you share one together.”
Camryn glanced up at her, her expression guarded and cynical.
“Is that what you’re doing? Establishing your own life?” the teenager asked. “Your guy went on to somebody else and you got
dumped with nowhere to go but Aunt Will’s old cabin.”
“I have plenty of places to go,” Jesse answered defensively.
Camryn snorted. “And you can go to all of them by yourself,” she said. “I’m not letting Tree get away from me. What we’ve got together is good. It’s worth hanging on to.”
“Okay,” Jesse said. “But are you sure you’re ‘holding on’ and not ‘holding back’?”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s been working toward his future for a long time. If you stop him from leaving the mountain, if he doesn’t get to go to college, don’t you think that he might blame you for that?”
Camryn’s face flushed with embarrassment. “I’m good for him. I love him and I make him happy.”
“Maybe so,” Jesse said. “But will he know that?”
“Huh?”
“Think of the reverse of what Aunt Will told you,” Jesse suggested. “If he never has any freedom, how will he know that another girl couldn’t have made him just as happy? And she wouldn’t have had to hold him back to do it.”
“Why do you keep saying that about me holding him back?” Camryn demanded.
“Because that’s what you’re planning, isn’t it? That’s what his dad is so afraid that you will do.”
“Look, it’s none of your business,” Camryn said harshly.
“You’re right,” Jesse answered. “It’s not. I’m just trying to give you some other options.”
Camryn stopped on the boulder below her, hands on hips and glared up at Jesse.
“Other options?” she asked scornfully. “You mean like letting him go off to a big new place with all new people? While I wait here with nothing to do and no one to see, where nothing changes for a hundred years? I’m supposed to just wait here and hope someday he’ll come back. No, thank you. You may be okay with being the dumped girl, but I’m not letting that happen to me.”
Jesse blanched as the barb scored a direct hit. Camryn was right. She had no business giving dating advice to anyone. The two continued down the mountain without speaking.
Jesse’s backpack was heavy. For her fantasy bath, she’d brought not only foaming gel in her favorite spicy rose scent, but her shampoo, conditioner, styling mousse and hairdryer. She also wanted to check her email and connect with her parents. Jesse was going complete twenty-first century for the day. And she was eager for it.
