The Tea Series

by Sheila Horgan

  He dabbed at his mouth for a bit.

  “So I catch movement out of the corner of my eye, and I see this big guy, like four inches taller than me and maybe about fifty pounds of muscle bigger than me. Big. He starts toward the old guy and just kicks the walker out from under him. The old guy falls to the ground. There was nothing he could do. It happened so fast that it took my brain a second to figure out what I’d just seen. Who does that? Who hurts an old guy who’s just minding his own business?”

  “I could give you a few words to describe him.”

  “Yeah, right. Anyway, before I even have time to react, there are two smaller guys that come up. Three guys our age on one old man. One of the smaller guys kicked him, and my head exploded.”

  “Three against one? Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Well, more like two against one.”

  “How’d that work?”

  “I couldn’t take on the big guy. Not and live to tell about it. I was carrying stuff back from my car. You know the big monopod.”

  “That heavy one-legged tripod?”

  “That’s the one. I swung it like a baseball bat when the big guy went to kick the old man. He was down for the count. Then I introduced myself to the two smaller guys.”

  “Holy crap.”

  “By the time the big guy cleared his mind enough to kill me, two of the bouncers from Jovana’s club saw what was happening, and they came down to help. By the time it was all said and done, the three guys are going to jail — ”

  “I hope they rot there. How is the old guy?”

  “The paramedics said he would be okay. They are going to keep him in the hospital for a while. He’s on blood thinners, so when they knocked him down and kicked him they likely started a really ugly chain of events in his body. He looks a lot worse than I do.”

  “What is wrong with people?”

  “I still can’t wrap my brain around it. It wasn’t even like they were out to rob him. They didn’t reach for his wallet; they just started kicking the crap out of him. There was nothing he could do. It wasn’t like some sort of competition or anything.”

  “We should bring you to the doctor. Make sure nothing is broken.”

  “I’m fine, Cara. This all happened a while ago. I’ve already talked to the alarm company and the cops and then snuck out the back before anybody from the media could catch me.”

  “Media?”

  “Human interest story. Stupid. I don’t want to have any part of that.”

  “I agree. What about the alarm company?”

  “Those guys are going to be out of jail by now. They’re going to be pissed. It all took place right in front of the studio, and they know I work in that building. My guess is they’re going to be back.”

  “That’s not good.”

  “I was lucky the bouncers were there. If the big guy got in on it, things would have turned out different.”

  “Thank God they were there.”

  “Yeah, God and a big conference they are having down in Old Town. One of the things Morgan got moving. She’s really more impressive every day. Our campaign isn’t really even in full motion yet, and already she’s making a huge difference.”

  “I think you have more than a little bit to do with the success of the campaign.”

  “Thanks. Anyway, the bouncers are going to talk to some of the guys around my building. We’re all going to keep our eyes open. If they come back, we should be okay.”

  “Do you want me to call my brothers?”

  “What are they going to do? Stand guard?”

  “If that would work, I’m sure they’d be willing. But what I was actually thinking was that we could use a truck and move your equipment here, just in case they do something stupid to the studio.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap.”

  “Not a problem.”

  “Yes, it is. Anyway, I’ve got anything worth a lot in the safe. Jovana moved some of her equipment out a few weeks ago so that we would have more space for the campaign. Most of my paperwork is at Morgan’s office. She’s had her girl doing it for me to give Suzi a break.”

  “Oh, God, Suzi. Does she know?”

  “She does. She wasn’t there. I’d sent her out on some errands, and she got back just after they drove off with the three guys. Cops everywhere. Two ambulances. Me bleeding all over the place. Yeah, that was a great thing for her to see.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “She is. Remember that server at the diner?”

  “The one who wants to have your babies?”

  “Yeah, well, she came over and got Suzi.”

  “Fastest way to a good man’s heart is through his sister.”

  “She thinks we’re married, remember?”

  “She might have thought that for a second, along with the whole piercing thing, but by the time we got back from the diner, she’d figured it out, which made you forbidden fruit, which for some people is even sexier, but I don’t care. I trust you.”

  “Good to know. Anyway, I expect Suzi will be coming home any time. She was going to make a quick stop. She has a doctor appointment tomorrow morning, so she’s coming in late.”

  “Should we worry about her working there if the bad guys are coming back?”

  “Your brother is going to check and make sure to let me know when the bad guys get out of jail. We’ll worry about it then. The cop that picked them up said it would be at least three days, and Suzi may well be on maternity leave by then.”

  “Good point. Okay, one thing at a time. First, saltwater. You need to rinse your mouth out with it so it will start to heal quickly. Mouths heal quickly. Are your teeth okay? Do any of them wiggle?”

  “No.”

  “You sure?”

  “I thought one did, but it doesn’t.”

  “Good.”

  “I bit the crap out of my tongue, and my lip is split in about four places. That’s what keeps bleeding. It stops, then I move wrong, and it starts up again.”

  “Need stitches?”

  “No.”

  “Did they hit you with anything?”

  “Fists.”

  “I mean, you hit the big guy with a monopod. I just wanted to make sure they didn’t hit you with anything.”

  “Cara, I’m okay.”

  “Did you fall down?”

  “What?”

  “Did your head hit anything?”

  “No.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Okay. Take a breath, Cara. I appreciate your concern, but really I’m okay.”

  “I thought I was a whole lot more okay than I was, remember?”

  “Yeah, but you’re a girl.”

  “I can’t believe you said that.”

  “There is a difference, you know.”

  “Yeah, well, throw a punch at Teagan some time, and see what happens to you.”

  “I think I’ll let this all heal before I start the next round of bruises.”

  “Probably a good call.”

  “If you want to do something for me, could you fix something I can eat? Not sure what that is, but you might have to put it through the blender. I’m hungry, but my mouth is all screwed up.”

  “I’ll figure something out. You sure you won’t go to the hospital just to get checked out?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Okay. Be careful in the shower. Maybe you should take a bath.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Okay. I’ll figure out what to fix for dinner. I’ll have something by the time you get back out here.”

  I allowed myself a few moments of panic after I heard the shower water go on. I know this is about A.J. and not about me, but it still completely freaked me out. It wasn’t that long ago that I was used as Barry’s punching bag, and although this isn’t about me, to say it wasn’t about me in that moment would be a total lie.

  I rummaged around in the kitchen for a while and decided the only thing that he would be able to eat would be breakfast.


  I may have over done it a little bit.

  A.J. came out in sweatpants and a towel hung around his neck. “What did you do?”

  “I didn’t know what would work.”

  “How long was I in there? I can’t believe you made this much food.”

  “It’s all easy stuff.”

  Someone knocked on the door.

  I headed that direction, but A.J. cut me off. “I’ll get it.”

  I knew it was about control, so I let it go.

  He even looked out the peephole. He must be more beat up than I thought. “It’s Suze.”

  He opened the door. Suzi bounced in, light on her feet, even at this point. “I promised Gran I’d check on you. Either I come in and make sure you’ll live and give her a call, or she will be here in twenty minutes. I told her that you had been in a fight protecting an elderly gentleman, but that you were okay and that you were home with Cara to take care of you. If Cara wasn’t here, Gran would be.”

  A.J. shook his head, but he smiled a little. “I’m fine.”

  “Yeah, I told her you’d say that. She isn’t convinced, and neither am I.”

  I called from the kitchen. “You want food? I kind of over did it.”

  “Sure, I could eat.” As she followed her nose to the table, her eyes got bigger and bigger. “Yeah, I’d say you over did it. I see a theme.”

  “Easy to chew.”

  “Are any of your teeth wiggly?”

  “No, Cara already asked. Multiple times.”

  “No, I only asked about your teeth once. I asked if you would go to the hospital multiple times. Eat. This stuff is all gonna get cold.”

  I had the kettle on the table and several kinds of instant oatmeal. I hate that stuff, but A.J. loves it, and so does Jordan, so I always have a lot around.

  I also had pancakes and French toast. Scrambled eggs. Both plain and with ham diced up little enough so that it could be swallowed without much chewing. I had a bunch of different kinds of yogurt and some applesauce.

  I had some hot chocolate packets and tea, of course. We all know tea will make anything better.

  Then I had some reheated stew meat and mashed potatoes. My stew meat is so tender that you really don’t have to chew all that much. Since I had mashed potatoes — I admit, they were reheated, but being from my family, I can reheat potatoes so that you’d swear on your grandma’s happiness that they were fresh — I had salmon that I’d cooked while he was in the shower. I figured if he didn’t want it, I’d eat it, because all of the sudden I was starving.

  If there had been any doubt that Suzi was pregnant, her mixture of food choices would put those doubts to rest. I always thought pregnant women just ate weird things when they were first pregnant. Evidently not.

  I was eating my salmon and mashed potatoes, since A.J. stuck with breakfast foods, when my phone started to ring and someone started pounding on the door and even my landline got in on the act, ringing loudly — which I normally have the ringer turned down because I only get sales calls on it anymore — all blasted at once.

  I went for the phone, A.J. went for the door, and Suzi went for the landline.

  I heard my parents’ voices at the door. Teagan was on my phone. Liam was on the landline.

  Everybody was talking at once.

  Turns out, A.J. made the news.

  According to my mother, who is usually very calm about these things, they got a picture of A.J. that looked like he’d gone three rounds with some famous fighter I’d never heard of.

  “You have to call your grandmother. If she saw that, she will surely be frightened to death.”

  “I’m on it.” A.J. excused himself and went in the office to call his grandmother.

  My parents came in and helped us finish off the food.

  Teagan accepted my word that A.J. was okay and said we could talk later.

  Liam, through Suzi, said that Morgan would be working from her office and home for a while; he didn’t want her at the studio, and she had agreed.

  Once A.J. had assured Carolyn that he would be okay, he came out, finished his dinner, and my family took off so he could get some rest.

  I didn’t say anything, but how weird is it that my parents came all the way over to check on him with their own eyes, and his parents didn’t even call?

  Then again, he didn’t call them either.

  I insisted on more ice before bed.

  Turns out that A.J. might just be as stubborn as I am.

  I sat on the couch with my feet pulled up and my furry socks on. My feet haven’t been warm in days. That’s never a good sign.

  Okay, I have no idea where I am in the threes and which three I’m even in, but I have to say this sucks.

  Was A.J. the last of the “beat-up” threes? If not, where are we in that set of three, and does he even count — no pun intended — because technically, although he looks like he’s gone three rounds with an MMA fighter, he wasn’t beat up.

  He won’t go to the doctor, but he is really starting to feel every punch he took.

  Rory called; the bad guys are out of jail. I’m sorry, but if you go around beating up old guys — not A.J., the victim — you deserve to stay in jail until they can figure out what is wrong in your brain. That might just be twelve days after you die, because there is something really wrong with someone who would beat up an old guy.

  Anyway, I said all that to say that I look like I haven’t taken a shower in a month or brushed my teeth in three weeks. Obviously I have, but I haven’t blown my hair dry or anything for a couple of days, and it shows.

  A.J. has been sleeping.

  A lot.

  Which worries me.

  Morgan has pretty much taken over everything but the photo shoots on their project, so A.J. can stay home.

  Me, well, I’m trying to sort out my brain. Even obsessive cooking and cleaning isn’t helping. I’ve hit a whole new level.

  When Teagan pounded on the door, I was tempted not to even bother answering it, but you know how she is; she’d keep pounding until her hand fell off. It was easier just to open the door and then close it in her face if she won’t take “go home” for an answer.

  “Whoa, you look a little rough. Hope it’s for good reasons.”

  “Yeah, right. A.J. is in the mood.”

  “Some guys are like that.”

  “I don’t want to think about that. What do you want, Teagan?”

  “I was thinking.”

  “Yeah, that’s cause for celebration, but I’m not into it today.”

  “Shut up, dingleberry. What’s wrong with you, anyway?”

  “I’m trying to sort out my brain.”

  “That must be scary.”

  “You know what, Teagan? I don’t need this right now. I’ve got about forty-seven things going on, none of them good, I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, I can’t talk to Mom because when I tried, I got her all screwed around the pole about what happened to her. And you. I just need to do this on my own.”

  “Well, hate to throw all kinds of cold water on your pity party, but your problem is what I was thinking about, and something doesn’t add up.”

  “What?”

  “Fix me tea, and I’ll fix your life.”

  I didn’t even bother with setting the table or coming up with a snack to go with the tea. Blackmail tea doesn’t have to be pretty; it just has to be hot, dark, and strong.

  “Okay, what did you figure out?”

  “Bernie’s letter.”

  “What?”

  “You need to get your ears fixed, Cara. Think about it. Remember Bernie’s letter?”

  “The one we found in the trunk?”

  “Yep. That’s the one. Where is it?”

  “I shredded the copies. The original is in the trunk.”

  “Go get it.”

  “I don’t want to open the trunk, Teagan. All those bits and mixed up pieces of memories come flooding back, and they mess up my head.”

  “There are only two optio
ns, and we are going to figure out which one is real. Today.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Get the freaking letter, Cara.”

  Teagan wasn’t messing around, and although I wanted to smack her, I was too nosey to not follow her down the path.

  “Fine, help me lift the glass.”

  I held my breath when the citrusy smell wafted out into the room. It used to bring me so much pleasure; now it makes me sick to my stomach.

  I reached in and grabbed the envelope, half-expecting it to burn my hand.

  It didn’t.

  We closed everything back up and went to the table.

  “Read it.”

  I started to scan the letter.

  “Out loud, dingleberry.”

  “Dearest Cara,

  I pray this finds you and your family well and healthy. I am quite sure my wish for you to receive this trunk has been a puzzle to you. I am prayerful that puzzle is a pleasure and not a burden. If you allow it to become a burden, I will have failed.

  Cara, for many years I have watched you grow from inquisitive little girl to a wondrous young woman. Your grandmother — and then your mother — were always generous in their sharing of your family. I have benefited from that generosity more than I can describe.

  You might well question why I have made the choice to leave my most valued possessions to you. From the moment of your birth — I was at the hospital; did your family ever tell you that? — I have felt a very special connection with you. Perhaps we were related in another life. Perhaps it was my desire to raise my own daughter — a desire never fulfilled — but whatever the reason and whatever the distance, I have always felt a special connection with you.

  In this trunk you will find the very soul of my life. You will be witness to the things that I love, that I value, and that I believe will bring you the joy you have provided me. Some of the items are of some monetary value. Some are worth nothing more than scented air. I believe that each will bring a smile to your face, and I hope a pleasant thought or memory.

  I believe that (unlike Teagan) you will savor the archaeology of this endeavor as much as the baubles.

  I was unable or unwilling to share my secrets with the world. Perhaps I was born in the wrong time. Perhaps I simply did not possess the integrity and confidence that your family seems to come by so easily.