Devil Creek

by Bond, Casey L.

  Jaxon had entered the royal party room with a dark-haired stranger tucked behind him. Jude. The pair had graduated from high school together. Jaxon had gone to work in the mines and Jude had gone into construction and worked for Easton. It was obvious to Aislin that he worked hard and in the sun. He was muscular, but not overly so. His skin was tan and when he shook her hand, she could feel warmth and callouses. Jude’s hair was black and short, he wore silver wire-rimmed glasses, a plain white t-shirt and board shorts. The guys were going to swim and cool off after a hard week’s work. Aislin had wished the sunroom overlooked the pool.

  When Aislin had later that day mentioned to Easton that she would like a pergola built over top of her back porch, he said that he would send over the perfect builder. He’d sent Jude. He showed up at 7:00am on Monday morning, pulled his truck around back and began to unload his work horses, large pieces of lumber, saws and tools that Aislin had never seen before. He had gotten straight to work, strapping on his tool belt, measuring her porch with speed and precision. He’d used a circular saw to make the cuts of wood fit her porch correctly. Perfectly. Aislin had remained inside until she’d figured he needed a drink. It had gone from morning to sweltering very quickly. She had periodically brought him ice water, and later sweet iced tea and a ham and turkey sandwich for lunch. She’d joined him with her own. The pair had laughed and become fast friends. Aislin wasn’t ready for anything else and wasn’t sure if she ever would be. Not after Stone. And definitely not after Gabe. Plus, she had Gabby to think about now. She couldn’t risk bringing a man around her and having him split, leaving her daughter broken and confused. Besides, the two of them had always gotten along just fine.

  Aislin spaces balloons of every color around the porch railing. When she’s satisfied outside, she returns to the kitchen and prepares the punch. It’s Gabby’s favorite. A little bit of Hawaiian punch, sprite and sherbet. The Yo Gabba Gabba characters smile and wave up from the birthday cake and matching plates and napkins. A knock on the door. It’s six o’clock in the evening. Amy holds the storm door open and Gabby and Maddy run in giggling and yelling, hands clasped together. Gabby wears a smock that Amy made her for her birthday with the pink “Foofa” character on the front of a turquoise pillowcase dress, blue and turquoise ribbons gathering the material on the shoulder. Maddy has a similar dress on, but with “Broby,” the character from -Yo Gabba Gabba with dark and light green striped fur. Her pillowcase is yellow and her shoulder ribbons are green, yellow and orange. Gabby runs to Aislin and throws her arms out. Her mommy crouches down to her level and throws her own arms around her daughter. The impact of Gabby knocks Aislin onto her butt in the kitchen floor. Both erupt in laughter, as does Amy and Maddy. They are the first to arrive. Amy gently places a cake box on the table. It’s a large sheet cake, half white, half chocolate, with all of the Gabba characters dancy-dancing on top of it. “Happy 3rd Birthday, Gabby!” is written skillfully across the top of the cake in alternating colors of pink and turquoise. The party begins at 6:30pm, so Aislin and Amy get to work setting out the food and refreshments while the girls play in Gabby’s room with a set of chunky plastic building blocks and Barbie dolls.

  At 6:15pm, Easton, Melissa and Donovan show up, followed by Jude and his younger brother, who is staying with Jude while he is home from college for the summer. The pair -heads straight to the backyard after getting a long extension cord from Aislin. They had picked up and hauled over a bouncy castle that she’d rented from a party supply company earlier in the week. Gabby had no idea and Aislin was excited to surprise her baby girl for her birthday. Within twenty minutes, the large plastic castle had been unfolded, blown up and was ready for her baby girl to start bouncing!

  She can see the guys wrapping things up and preparing to move the pickup. “Ames?” Amy is in Gabby’s room with the girls, trying to keep them occupied while the surprise is being erected.

  “Yeah?” she yells.

  Aislin walks to Gabby’s room and leans onto the door frame. “Where’s Parker? He’s coming, right?”

  “Yep.” Amy says, popping her ‘p.’ Aislin cocks her head. This is a sign of nervousness for Amy Harrison.

  “Ames?” No answer. “Ames?”

  “He’s coming. He’ll be here. It’s okay.” Amy gives a very fake smile, hopeful, yet nervous reassurance on her brow.

  “Okay. What aren’t you telling me?”

  Amy gets up, dusting non-existent dirt off of her bottom. Another tell. She refuses to make eye contact with Aislin. Now, she’s worried. Something is definitely off.

  “Fine.” Amy rolls her eyes and pulls the door closed behind her. “Girls, stay in here for a minute, okay.” The two little girls murmur their acknowledgements, not even pausing their construction.

  Pulling Aislin into her own bedroom, Amy closes the door behind them and then walks to the closet and begins to shuffle through Aislin’s shirts. Aislin looks down. Her shirt is fine. It’s just a plain navy blue V-neck, but it isn’t dirty. Amy finds a floral, chiffon sleeveless and pulls it out, removing the hanger. “Amy, my shirt is fine.” Amy does not listen. She shoves the floral shirt at her and orders her to put it on. Aislin acquiesces and soon sports the feminine shirt and her light jean cut-offs, and pale pink flip-flops.

  “Okay, so...don’t be mad, but...”

  †

  “Park, man, where’s this party?”

  “You’ll see,” he says with a smirk on his face. Parker is sporting more than a five o’clock shadow and looks tired.

  “Whatever.” Gabriel tries to play it off, but when Parker pulled out of his driveway and headed in the direction of Mac’s house, he had begun to worry. Park wouldn’t do that to him. Would he? No. Hell, no. Mac doesn’t even know he’s in town and Gabe tries to convince himself that he wants to keep it that way. Seeing her at The Barn, vibrant and so alive, had been more than he’d expected. Had he thought she would still be missing him? Paused her life because he’d left. Perhaps he had unrealistic expectations. His life had stopped, other than mundane, every-day routines, it had ground to a halt and refused to budge.

  He had worked. Hard. He’d left Mac’s house and drove. He drove all the way to Texas before he stopped. He’d taken a job at a local ranch. Never before had he worked as a ranch hand. He’d learned to muck stalls, which was really a polite way to say, ‘shovel shit’. He had learned to groom and shoe horses, round up cattle, tag their ears, chase chickens and gather their eggs. Working from just before sunrise until twilight had worn his body out. It had left him little time to think about Mac. But, whenever his mind did drift. It had always drifted back to her. He would wondered how she was doing. What she was doing? If she missed him. If she wondered why he’d left and if she was still angry because of it. He wasn’t sure he would ever return. Wasn’t sure if he’d ever see her again. No doubt he had hurt her. He’d taken everything from her. Taken her purity and her promise to Declan and he didn’t want to see the anger and disappointment in her eyes when the sun rose. So, he left. He ran until he couldn’t run any further. And, then he’d stayed. He’d worked on the Triple S Ranch for three and a half years before packing up his few belongings and pointing his Tacoma north. The last few months he had spent traveling, seeing the country, while slowly making his way back to his parents’ home in Huntington, West Virginia.

  The money he’d earned from working on Mr. Simpson’s ranch had mostly remained untouched. His mother and father- had welcomed him with open arms. Gabriel Church hadn’t just walked out of Mac’s life—he’d walked away from everything and everyone he’d ever known.

  When he rang the doorbell of his childhood home, and waited, his heart nearly beat out of his chest. His father opened the door before his mouth hung open in disbelief. His mother, peeking out from behind his father, had nearly knocked her husband down to get to her only son. Then, the small woman had nearly tackled Gabriel, too. She’d laughed and cried simultaneously, smacked his arm and ordered him inside for supper.

 
; Much the same had happened when he showed up on Parker’s doorstep a few days ago. Parker and Amy were surprised and excited. They welcomed him immediately into their home and lives. Lives that had changed dramatically since he’d left. Amy had yelled for Maddy and had introduced him as her “Uncle Gabe,” though technically they were cousins.

  And, Uncle Gabe it had been since. He’d made sure to play with Maddy, to talk to her and get to know the young girl who was now his niece. He’d tried to memorize the pattern of freckles on her nose, now her dark hair curled around her ears when it was pulled back in a ponytail and the way her dark eyes sparkled when she was playing a trick on someone, or doing something she wasn’t supposed to.

  Mac’s driveway is packed. Just when Gabriel believes Parker is only gawking in passing, he pulls into the grass just beside an old Ford pickup.

  “What the? What the hell is this, Parker?” Gabe sits up straighter.

  “This is where the birthday party is, buddy.” Parker jumps out and starts to walk up the walkway toward the front door. Gabe stays in the car a moment. Should he go in? Walk back to the guest house? As Parker opens the storm door, he sees her. Long auburn hair is fluttered back by the warm evening breeze. Parker disappears into the house. Aislin, arms crossed in front of her, stands as a sentinel on her front porch. Gabe sits, pinned to his seat by her fierce teal gaze. She unwinds her arms and bounds down the steps and walks slowly toward him. He opens the door and steps out into the evening sunshine and takes a deep breath.

  “Gabe.”

  “Mac.”

  “Look, I certainly hadn’t expected to see you here today, or any day, but you’re welcome to come in. I just don’t want you causing any trouble, okay?” She looks at him expectantly. Bossy woman. Something else flashes in her eyes—anger, pain.

  “I’m not here to make trouble, Mac. I’m just visiting Parker and Amy. Park said we were going to a party. This isn’t exactly what I expected either.”

  Aislin turns her back to him and takes a deep breath. She wants to scream at him, pound on his chest and ask him why. But, it’s her baby girl’s day and she won’t ruin it. Not over Gabriel Church, least of all. If she is honest, she’d tell you that his words had cut her. He didn’t want to be here. Obviously he never had. He was just like every other man she’d ever met. He got what he wanted and split.

  She winces at his honesty and that of her own thoughts. “Well, come on, then.” She waves him over and walks around the house to the back yard. Brightly colored balloons are tied around the wooden porch rails, which have been painted or stained a deep brown color. A matching pergola has been built overhead. Gabe takes in the scene. Balloons, blow-up castle with Donovan, Maddy and another little girl bouncing around inside. He can see guests sitting on Adirondack chairs, Amy and Parker, Melissa and Easton. The douchebag from last night─…─Jude and a mini-Jude sit on the porch railing talking with Easton and Melissa. Whose damn party is this?

  “Y’all come and get a plate!” Mac yells from the kitchen window screen. When had she slipped inside? Amy walks over to the bouncy house and the three kids bounce out and land in the grass, giggling, before running through everyone on the porch to get inside. They each come out with a paper plate and cup of some sort of red juice stuff in their hands. They sit at a small plastic picnic table that looks like it’s made of actual wood, in the corner of the porch and begin to eat.

  Parker and Amy motion for Gabriel to join them and the three head inside, but not before Gabe catches Jude’s eye. His dark eyes are piercing. Gabe isn’t sure what color they are. Dark. Disturbingly so. Pupil and iris almost blend together seamlessly. Almost. Jude’s posture changes as well. He puffs up slightly. Gabe grins and holds the door open for his cousins. Easton, Melissa and the dark twins follow behind.

  He fills his plate and grabs a longneck, and heads back outside. Aislin is busy. She refills chip bowls and the ice bucket. Puts more drinks in a cooler and takes it outside. She still hasn’t eaten. She’s slightly thinner than he remembers. After he finishes his hotdog, chips, fruit and beer, he heads back inside. Gabe throws his plate in the garbage and sets his empty bottle up on the counter. Mac used to save those to recycle. He grabs another and begins to head outside. At the door, he comes face to face with Jude Cole.

  “Hey, man. I’m Jude Cole.” Cole puts his hand out for Gabe to shake, which he accepts.

  “Gabe Church.”

  “You’re Gabe?” Jude’s eyebrows raise in surprise.

  “Yep.”

  “Okay. Good to meet you, man.” He looks around at Aislin, who is clearing the kids’ plates, while she shoos them over to the bounce castle again.

  Gabe is now positive that Mac or someone has told Jude about his history with Aislin. Shit! And, is even more positive that she hates him. Aislin doesn’t avoid his eyes, but meets his own with defiance, a silent strength. She’s beautiful. She’s in some sort of flowy shirt with a chevron pattern on it and her cut-offs. And, in typical Mac fashion, she’s bare-footed. Her hair is long, shiny and straight and her eyes bright. Her skin is flawless. She simply glows. Gabe realizes for the first time that he has never seen her like this. Confident and happy. Strong and self-sufficient. And, then it dawns on him. He hadn’t been present for such a change. Damn how he wished it had been because of him.

  Gabriel feels out of place here, with his Mac, for the first time. Because for the first time, Mac isn’t his anymore.

  †

  “He keeps looking at you.”

  Amy and Aislin clean up the kitchen. The two scurry around clearing platters, loading the dishwasher, covering the leftovers. The sun has set and cicadas sing in the last light of day. From outside, Easton is lecturing Donovan about being gentler with the two smaller girls. The bouncy castle is still. Both little girls sniffle, the remnants of tears hang on their chubby cheeks. Though Maddy is older, she still looks baby-like. Chubby cheeks and freckles. Gabby has one arm around Maddy’s shoulder and looks around with big denim eyes that land on Aislin through the window. Aislin gives her a smile and Gabby’s lips turn up slightly.

  “I don’t care who he looks at. He made his choice. Besides, I have more important things to worry about. Like Gabby,” Aislin says. She gives Amy a look that lets her know to drop it.

  “Well, how will Jude feel about this? Are you guys together? Like together, together?” Amy wags her eyebrows suggestively, which earns her a slap with the dish rag Aislin holds.

  “No. Shut up,” she whisper yells. “We aren’t together. We’re just friends.”

  “Whatever. That guy wants to be much more than your friend. And, he is smoking hot. You seem to have fun with him. I know I would─ if I weren’t married to an amazing man.”

  “I don’t know about him wanting more. Yes, he’s hot and yes we have fun. But, I have Gabby. I have to do what’s best for her.”

  “You do. But, maybe a happy mom in a healthy relationship is what is best for her. Just food for thought.” Amy opens the cake box and Aislin holds the cake out for her to put on the three pink candles.

  Amy grabs the flicker bicker, holds open the door to the back porch and Aislin yells for Gabby. My baby is three. Wow. How did this happen?

  Gabby, whose hair is pulled up in two pig tails, runs to Aislin and claps her hands when she sees her cake. She hugs Aislin’s neck. “Mama, mama, it’s foofa gabba!” She plants a big wet kiss on Aislin’s cheek.

  “Yep. Your favorite, baby girl. Now, Amy’s going to light the candles and I’ll help you blow them out, okay?”

  Gabby nods, “Okay, mama! Wight da candles!”

  After her baby girl blows out the candles on her birthday cake, Aislin announces that she will cut the cake and bring pieces out to everyone. Gabriel’s hand grabs her forearm. A jolt of electricity shoots through her. His hand is warmer and much more rough than she remembered. “I’ll help you. Seems we have some catching up to do, Mac.”

  Aislin shrugs. She isn’t sure what the hell he’s talking about, but figu
res if he wants to help pass out pieces of cake, then why not?

  Before the pair can move at all, Jude steps in front of Gabriel. “I can help, Aislin. I’m sure Gabe here, would like to visit with his family for a bit. After all, he hasn’t seen them in years.” Point for Jude.

  Gabriel stands taller. “Look, Jude, I’ve known her most of her life, so if you’ll excuse us...”

  “Well, I’ve known her for almost four years and I’ve never seen you around, so...” Jude takes the cake from Aislin’s hands and heads inside. She follows, smiling. Gabriel stands rigidly in place watching the two head inside together.

  Chapter 18

  Gabriel fumes outside on the back porch of Aislin’s house. Not only does he learn that the little birthday girl is Aislin’s daughter, he gets pushed out of the way by Jude Cole. And, Aislin had freaking laughed as the two went into the kitchen together. She’d laughed at him. Anger and jealousy flood through his body, course through his veins. Who was the little girl’s father? Jude? The thought makes him want to storm in there, beat the hell out of Cole and drag her out caveman style. He never should have left. She’d found someone else somewhere along the way and had been intimate with him in the way she’d only been with Gabriel. The thought made him sick and pissed off, confused and angry.

  Easton claps his shoulder and leans in whispering, “Let her get used to you. You just came back. She needs time.” Gabe nods, but his jaw refuses to unclench, as do his fists, held down at either side.

  “Come on, Uncle Gabe. Let’s go check on the ankle biters.” Easton leads him to the bounce castle. The kids are playing hide and go seek inside. Not that the structure provides much cover for hiding spots, but they seem entertained anyway. Gabby is “it.” She chases Donovan around inside of the castle, tripping over the billowing floor and landing right in front of Gabriel. Her tiny hand clasps the netting in front of him and then her big eyes meet his. Blue. Dark-washed denim, per Mac. Sapphire, as his mother had always described it. His shade of blue shone in the laughter of this little girl’s eyes.