by Keck, Laurie
Larina shrunk her body further into the chair. “This is why I couldn’t be with Case. Last thing we need is my being around a ‘beloved celebrity.’ Someone is always after a scandal.”
Grant rested his pipe into the bowl. “Nonsense. Though they never stopped writing about him, the headlines… There were so many.”
Larina rolled her eyes. “Oh, I remember. ‘Rodeo star goes country but sings the blues.’ ‘A woman wrangled a child, now all comes barreling down.’” She rubbed her hands against her face, “And now this.”
Grant tapped at the note. “This came before you saw Case today.”
She tilted her head. “I think he still believes the reason I left was because of the rodeo. He thinks I didn’t approve. It’s true that I didn’t like the wrestling and roping of the animals. But he did quit that. And of course the other being…”
Grant said, “Larina, is it much different than what your dear old dad did, with kite fishing and trolling? Besides, he quit the rodeo for you. As for his son, I am quite sure he doesn’t think that.”
Larina took an exasperated breath. “No, I guess not. And, by the way, he quit the rodeo because of his knees.”
Grant gave a broad smile. “He writes music because of you as well.”
Larina shook her head. “You’re just a romantic.”
Grant rested his pipe in its stand. “Now that could very well be true.”
He rose from his chair as he spoke. “And, as such, though it’s still early, I must get ready. I’m going out this evening. We’ll talk more in the morning. We are not fin-ished with this conversation.”
Larina opened her eyes wide “Daddy I swear…”
He walked over to a table and picked up a conch shell. “Your mother taught me this.” He placed it to his lips and played a few chords.
Larina smiled. “And you taught me. So, let me ask you, when you meet with mother, do you…you know?”
Grant blushed before answering, which was unusual for Larina to see. “There are still some things that aren’t to be shared, my dear. Remember one thing. Like me, you, too, will age. But… what they say is correct. With true love, your heart will always remain young. Goodnight, dear.” He left the room with his shell.
She blushed. “Goodnight, Daddy.”
Larina blew out a deliberate breath as she picked up the aquamarine gem kept in a shell next to the window. She sat on the chaise and patted the cushion for Sunmoon to join her. “These were once thought to be tears from a mermaid. Also, they’ve been thought to protect men at sea. And you know what? It’s all true, Sunmoon. This was given to Father by my mother. He shared it with me the day I became a woman.”
She held the stone above her.
“That was the scariest day of my life. The very day I developed the ability to will a fin and learned the truth about mother. I was twelve years old, and I will never forget it.” She caressed the stone lightly with her finger.
“It’s all I have of my mother.” She sat up. “Daddy says a mermaid cries this stone when they acknowledge that they’ve found true love.”
She placed the gemstone back in its shell cradle.
“Sunmoon, I’m going out this evening too. When I do, I need you to stay here.”
She dimmed the lights as they left the den.
Chapter 4
The campfire burned bright as Case sat on a log. His guitar was lit by the full moon above. His spotlight was the light of his fire and the stars overhead. As he strummed softly, the chirp of the crickets offered a musical accompaniment. When Bandit sat up, the movement got Wade’s attention, so he glanced up. He got a glimpse of her from afar. The reflection of the moon kissed her hair, giving a halo effect. It flowed over her like a cool summer breeze. She looked lit from within, and to Case, she looked like an angel in the night. She wore a cropped white linen blazer and white capris. As she walked toward him, he felt all was right with the world. With her, his world would be all that he had ever wanted.
As she got near, Case stood and placed the guitar against the trunk of the tree.
“Hey, Larina…Hi.” He greeted her awkwardly at first, as he picked up a jug and offered it. “Moonshine?”
“Moonshine? Boy, I can’t get a break. There are reminders everywhere.”
“I’m sorry?” he said as he furrowed his brow.
“Nothing.” She shook her head.
He motioned to the rack on the fire.
“I can make you hot chocolate. I couldn’t decide earlier which I’d want. Moonshine won.” He held up his mug.
“I had thought of hot cocoa earlier today. Hot chocolate sounds nice, thanks.”
“Great.”
He placed the kettle on the fire, reached into a knapsack for the package, and then poured the contents into a mug.
“Are you here to check on Robust?”
“How is he?”
“He’s doing great. He ate for me, and he’s drinking.”
“I’m so glad. I’m actually here to see you.”
“Oh, okay, great.”
He motioned for her to take a seat on the log bench across from him.
He tilted his head as he spoke. “Hey, not that I mind, I’m glad you did, but how did you get on the grounds?”
“The gate was open.”
Case clenched his lips. “Damn.”
Larina sat down and began to glance around. “So I noticed when I was here earlier you don’t have as many animals as you use to.”
Case turned his head to survey the property. “No. I’ve had some bad years off and on here at the ranch.” He turned back to Larina. “I guess I could get more. I don’t know. Until I figured out what was behind it, I didn’t think I should. And it’s okay really. I’ve rather come to like the simplicity of what it is now.”
He gave Bandit’s head a tousle. “I have Bandit here, Robust, Sas, their best buds over there.” He motioned in the direction of two pygmy goats. “That one on the left is Doe.” He pointed to the other. “Rae.” And then he pointed to himself. “Me.”
This caused Larina to laugh. Case chuckled. “Sorry, little something I do with Timmy now and then.”
He got up and put some more wood on the fire. “It was sad, though, seeing so many of the animals pass.”
She leaned forward. “I’m sorry. How, when?”
He tended to the fire with a stir of the ashes. “It’s been years now. Actually it happened shortly after you left town. I was told that they’d eaten something bad. A substance was found in their feed.”
Larina’s eyes opened wide as they filled with a mist. “Oh no. How could that have happened?”
He scrunched his mouth. “The authorities said not much could be done. I had my suspicions, but nothing I could prove.”
He poured hot water into her mug, searched around for a utensil, and then finally stirred the drink with his finger. “Yee…okay ...little hot.” He grit his teeth.
She smiled as he put his finger in his mouth to cool the burn before he handed the mug to her.
“Thanks.” She took a gingerly sip “What are your suspicions?”
He let out a slow breath. “Oh, at the time, I had a few. Initially, I thought someone was trying to run me out of Dodge, if you will. I thought maybe the town had their eyes on my property or something. I came up empty with that theory though. I really thought maybe Annette was getting back at me for not being with her. I still haven’t ruled that out. At one point I even suspected some old rodeo ties. Several were upset when I quit and pursued music. A lot of people had been invested in me.”
He rested his forearms on his knees. “But how about we talk about that another time? I’d rather hear about you. Your practice is doing well I see. I check your web page. I still follow you on Facebook, and now Twitter, in case you never noticed.” He stroked his chin. “And by the way, you need more pictures of yourself on both.”
She raised a brow. “Think so? And, yes, I did notice.”
“You give a lot of free advice.
That’s nice. Aren’t you ever worried people will take your guidance and resolve the simpler problems on their own?”
She said, “No, I’ve found the more you’re willing to share, the more they trust you. Besides, it really is about the animals.”
“Makes sense, good business sense too.” He lifted his tongue to his tooth. “How many calls do you get just to get you to come by… so they can see you?”
She giggled. “You’re too kind. And just a small percentage.”
He lowered his head, and he gazed through his lashes as he spoke.
“So, do you ever peek at my sites?”
She squirmed in her seat before answering. “I’ve seen them from time to time. I’ve heard you on the radio. I’ve bought your songs.”
He chuckled. “Oh, that was you.”
She fanned herself, and Case wondered if it was her drink, the fire, or maybe he was getting to her. He hoped it was the latter.
He rubbed his neck. “Could you tell which ones I wrote for you?”
“No, I don’t know. I did want to ask about your covers though. When did cowboys start wearing muscle shirts and no hats?”
He laughed. “When it started selling songs.”
“You made the right choice. You’re much too handsome to be covered up.”
He raised his brow. “Now that comment alone was worth the wait.”
She pursed her lips as she tilted her head. “You have a lot of fans.”
“I do, I’m lucky. The live performances are the best part. Nice to feel someone’s glad to see you, you know. I go out there, and I’m greeted by genuine, happy faces. Though there has never been one as beautiful as you.”
Larina shook her head slightly.
Case motioned in the direction of the structure behind the house. “That reminds me. I also had a break-in at my studio over there. Funny thing, only my recent work was taken. It represented a lot of hours though.”
“Case, that’s terrible. I’m so sorry.”
He exhaled. “Thanks. I guess, unless they play on the radio, I’ll never know who took them. It was odd. I won’t say I wasn’t pissed. That’s when I knew it was more an attack on me. I’ve tried to remember the songs, but it’s like that perfect dream you have one night, and when you wake up, you knew it was good, but you can’t for the life of you remember it.”
He stood and walked a short way to a sixteen-foot tree. “I planted this when you left. It’s grown pretty well; it was practically just a seed.”
Case slid his fingers over the gray bark. He knew the bark, though still smooth, would one day, as it matured, feel rough. She left her seat and walked over.
She asked, “What kind is it?”
“A sand pine.”
“Ah…I see. You pine for me?”
Case put his hands in his jean pockets as he rocked back and forth on his heels.
“That I do. That I do.” He reached and touched a branch lightly as he spoke.
“And did you notice the needles are in pairs. I even like the name sand pine. It represents our two worlds. But together… well you get the point.”
Larina bit her lip before she spoke. “I’m sorry I left like I did.”
“I won’t lie and say I wasn’t surprised. I thought we’d fallen in love.”
“I didn’t want to be in love, Case. Not then, not now.”
“Okay. Fair enough.”
He held his hand out toward their seats. As they returned to the fire, Case said, “How could I blame you?” He ran his hand over the back of his neck. “Me, a rodeo man, and then there you were, a gentle and caring woman. Not to mention you were being hounded by the press. And let’s not forget Annette.”
Larina gazed at the ground as he continued. He shook his head. “I knew early on she was trouble. It was hard enough to have to admit to you I had a one-night stand, let alone a child on the way.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “How I hoped he wasn’t mine.”
He returned his gaze to her. “Don’t get me wrong. I love Timmy. It’s just, man… she’s crazy.” Case stared into the fire.
Larina moved to sit next to him as she asked, “What are you going to do?”
Case shook his head. “You mean besides worry about him every day? I’ve tried to get custody, but I have no proof why I’m better suited than she is. While I don’t think she would harm him, he shouldn’t be near her mindset, you know?”
He brought his attention back to Larina, who, he found, was now gazing intently into his eyes. He knew she must have noticed his eyes had welled up with tears. He felt, for a split second, she was going to reach out to him, comfort him. He wasn’t looking for sympathy, but he would take whatever affection she was willing to give of herself. Instead, she sat quietly beside him. He began to recall the anguish that he’d felt these past few years. For a moment, he wondered what she had been so afraid of. Why had she not accepted his proposal back then? He shook his head and continued.
“I haven’t given Timmy the life he deserves, that I want for him. But I just couldn’t be with her.”
“I’ve seen articles. Annette implies you are together.”
He grunted. “That’s because she’s crazy. She’s manipulative. She comes off as this sweet mother, pretends we are a family. It’s all lies. I just hope Timmy never learns how mean she really is.”
He pressed his lips together. “And as for being with anyone, frankly, I haven’t been with anyone. Have you?” He lifted his hands off his knees. “I’m sorry, never mind. It’s none of my business, and I don’t think I even want to know.” He stared back into the flickering flame.
“No I haven’t.”
Case looked up. “Really?”
“Really.”
He pressed his lips tight, ran his hand across his head, and hoped she didn’t see his eyes water up.
Larina’s eyes watered as she placed her hand over her lips. “I should have come back when I heard about your grandfather. I’m so sorry.”
He placed his hand on her knee and then quickly removed it. “No, it’s okay. You know, he was the only one who didn’t see a child as a mistake. Not that he thought I should be with her—he didn’t—but he loved Timmy so.” He glanced around. “We had wonderful times here.” He took a sip of his moonshine. “Annette, actually accused Granddad, both of us, of turning Timmy against her. And it was only because he had fun here with us.”
He shook his head. “Then she insisted I get Timmy a dog so he’d have what he had here with Bandit. So I did, and Timmy named him Sudsy. Well, Sudsy didn’t make it. She was so careless with that dog. He was such a cute little fellow. He had this white fur with these short ringlets that made him look like he was made of bubbles. ”
Case threw his arms up. “I did it again. I went on and on about my woes. Truth is I’ve been pretty fortunate. So pleaseeee, let’s talk about something else. Anything else.”
Case saw her expressions rapidly shift from one emotion to another, anxiety to confusion and finally to resolution. She had something to tell him.
She took a deep breath before she spoke.
“I came back tonight because I didn’t want you to think I just wrote you off and didn’t care. Because I do care.” She tapped her fingers on her knee. “I really did want to give you a chance back then to see if you could make a go of it with Annette. You know, for Timmy’s sake.
Larina lowered her gaze. “At the time, I worried you and I might be just caught up in the moment, the newness of our relationship. I tried to convince myself we weren’t in love.”
She then jumped from her seat. “No, I’m sorry. This was a mistake. I should go.”
He jumped up. “Please, don’t go. What is it? Why did you really come back tonight?”
“I’m part mermaid!” She blurted it out and, just as quickly, put her hands over her mouth.
“Okay.” He placed his hands on her shoulders. “You prefer the water. I get that.”
She shook her head. “No. You don’t understand. How c
ould you? I don’t even understand. Sometimes I have a tail.”
“I’d say something to that, but I’m afraid you’d get upset.”
“No, Case. I mean I have a fin. Well, not always, but I can will it. Well, sometimes.”
“Wait…what… you have a fin? What are you saying?” Case picked up his mug and stared into it. “I think I might have given you the wrong drink.”
Larina clenched her fists as she spoke. “It’s true. I’m the daughter of a mermaid.”
Case squinted as he sneaked a peak towards her feet.
Larina shook her head. “No I don’t have a fin right now.”
“You say you can will it, so you don’t have to have a fin if you don’t want to?”
“I guess, but it’s not really that simple. It’s a part of me. My mother is a full-fledged mermaid.”
She sat down and covered her eyes with her hands as tears streamed down her cheeks. Case sat beside her and placed his arm around her shoulder.
“Don’t cry. Please don’t cry.” He began to wipe her cheek with his thumb and noticed her cheek was streaked with blue. He had, in his palm, several small stones. He glanced between her and his hand.
“Lar, what the… are you crying stones?”
She saw that she too, was holding tiny gems.
“Oh no. The tears of a mermaid.” She pushed the stones in the front pockets of her linen jacket, as if to do so would erase the sight of them from his mind.
Case knelt in front of her as he placed a hand on her knee. “Please what’s going on? Tell me this isn’t a trick.”
She wiped her tears. “No trick. I’m a freak of nature.”
“Don’t say that.”
“You sound like my father,” she said with a muffled chuckle.
“Does he know? Of course he knows. That was a dumb question.”
“I think you’re entitled to ask anything at this point.” She managed a smile.
He placed the stones in his jeans pocket. “Do you always cry little rocks?”
“No. I never have before. I’m so embarrassed. Maybe it’s because my whole world is falling apart.”
“Why is your world falling apart? Maybe I can help. I’ll do whatever I can.”
