Knotted Roots

by Kight, Ruthi

  How could I tell him what Grandma had told me the first day without revealing that I had been searching for a way to get closer to him? “I mean, she um, she told me to stay away from you.” Like a Band-Aid, I figured it would be better to just make it quick and hopefully painless.

  “She told you to stay away from me? Why? Were you planning on kicking me or something?” he asked, only half joking.

  I could barely look him in the eye. “Just forget I said anything.” I turned and walked away, leaving him standing there, unsure how to proceed. I couldn’t look at him anymore. Every time I spared him a glance he looked like a whipped puppy. One that had been beaten with a rolled up newspaper one too many times.

  When I reached the house I was tired again. Guess I should have just stayed home today. But no, I had to try and prove a point, which I had failed at miserably. As I approached the front door to the house I noticed someone sitting in one of the rocking chairs, a book firmly clutched in her petite hands. She must have heard my approach because her attention was instantly riveted upon me. Her gaze slid from the top of my head, taking in my unruly curls as they stuck out in every direction, to the mud covered boots that covered my aching feet.

  As I moved up the front stairs a smile lit up her face. I took in her relaxed appearance. She had dark, curly brown hair, pulled back in a messy ponytail, and light brown eyes resembling the color of honey. I tried to return her smile, but only managed a pained grimace. It didn’t seem to faze her at all. She put her book down and walked towards me, her hand outstretched.

  “Hi there! You must be Roxanne, Betty’s granddaughter. I’m Katy. I live next door,” she said as I gripped her hand lightly. I scanned the surrounding wooded area and looked back at her, completely perplexed. “Oh, well, not technically right next door. My house is about a mile down the road. But I am your closest neighbor.”

  I nodded and stepped back, unsure what to make of her. This kind of friendliness was unheard of where I grew up. Sure, I made friends easily at school, but none of them would have gone out of their way to greet a neighbor, especially a stranger. I bet they didn’t even know their neighbor’s names.

  “Nice to meet you?” It came out as a question, but she didn’t seem to notice. If anything, her smile grew even bigger. I didn’t know someone could smile that wide without something cracking.

  “Betty tells me that you’ll be here all summer. It’s so great to see a new face around here. I’ve known everyone around here my entire life, and while they’re awesome and all, sometimes ya need a new face. Ya know?” Her quick speech made my head spin as I struggled to keep up. It wasn’t so much the speed, as the accent that came with it. Her voice was straight out of “Gone with the Wind”.

  “Sure. I guess,” I replied as I made to move around her and head in the house. Before I could grasp the door handle I heard a very distinct male voice call my name. I turned, already sure of who it would be. Hasn’t he ever heard of a dramatic exit?

  “I see you’ve met Chase already,” Katy said as I stared at Chase while he crossed the yard. It might have been my imagination, but I could have sworn I heard a twinge of jealousy in her tone.

  “Yes, we’ve met,” I groaned, sure this was not going to end well. The look on his face was not one of anger as I had expected. He looked sad. Didn’t this boy ever wear a different expression?

  “Hey Katy, nice to see you.” Chase gave her a small smile and from the look on her face she was already melting. Yep, she had it bad for him. No wonder she didn’t seem overjoyed that I had already made his acquaintance. “Would you mind if I spoke to Roxie for a moment? In private?”

  She slapped her dazzling smile back on her face and nodded. “Of course. You two have fun. I’m going to head home and see if Momma needs any help with lunch.” She strolled down the stairs, almost bouncing, and never looked back as she made a quick getaway.

  I looked at Chase and the smile was already gone. Crap. “You’re not going to let it go, are you?”

  “Not a chance. Why did Betty tell you to stay away from me? I mean...I thought she trusted me. I would never do anything to harm you. Never.” He spoke so vehemently, never breaking eye contact, and my heart filled with shame. He thought Grandma was trying to protect me, not him. I couldn’t let him continue to think that.

  “It has nothing to do with you hurting me,” I paused, my nerves threatening to get the better of me. “She was worried about you getting hurt...by me.”

  He stared at me for a long moment before bursting out laughing. “Seriously? How could you possibly hurt me?”

  I looked him straight in the eye, hoping to find the strength to answer him, but in the end I diverted my eyes. I was not going to tell him that part. Some things are better kept a secret. “How should I know? You know her better than I do, so you ought to know.”

  “Well I don’t,” he replied, a smile creeping back onto his face. “I’ll talk to her about it. Get everything straightened out, once and for all.”

  “No,” I replied quickly. I must have surprised him as he jerked back a little bit. “Please. I’ll talk to her. Don’t worry about it.”

  He stared at me again, those blue eyes searching my face, before settling on my lips. His eyes seemed to blur slightly as his tongue briefly flicked over his full lower lip. As I watched him, I felt a flutter in reaction. He seemed to realize that he was staring and rapidly raised his gaze, looking me once more in the eyes. “I can’t promise not to worry, but I’ll leave you to it.” He turned to walk away but turned back to face me. “And if it’s any consolation, I don’t want you to stay away from me.”

  He smiled devilishly before sauntering off again. Whoa! Well, that was interesting. I swear I could still feel his eyes as they caressed my face, as physical as the touch of a hand. And those lips! When his tongue snaked out, moistening his lip, I seriously thought I was going to melt right there. Grandma would find nothing left of me but a quivering puddle on the front porch. He had to know what kind of effect he had on me. Hell, the effect he had on all females.

  Something told me he wasn’t as oblivious as he wanted everyone to believe. My interest was definitely piqued now and no amount of scolding from Grandma was going to keep me away from him. I would just have to keep Grandma out of the loop as much as possible. For the entire summer, if need be.

  CHAPTER NINE

  The rest of the week was a blur of sore, aching muscles from working on the farm and long nights filled with naughty dreams, with Chase taking center stage. I didn’t get anymore one on one time with him during the week, which I’m sure was Grandma’s doing, but I wasn’t going to let that deter me. Katy had come around a couple of times as well, but she rarely stayed long. She seemed focused on Chase, and my connection with him, but I repeatedly steered her away from the topic. Especially when Grandma was around.

  With the weekend finally upon us, I was given a brief reprieve. Evidently Grandma didn’t believe in working on the weekend and hired people to deal with the farm in her absence. It was a relief to be able to sleep past five for the first time in a while. The only problem? I had no idea what to do with myself during the day. There wasn’t exactly a roaring nightlife, not even in town, which meant that I would have to find some way to entertain myself.

  I contemplated calling Katy, but quickly thought better. I knew she would only want to know what Chase and I had said to each other during the week, or if he had mentioned her in passing. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that he hadn’t even spoken her name since that day on the porch. I have been called many things during my life, but heartless wasn’t one of them.

  As I made my way downstairs, still in my pajamas and my hair wild, I heard voices coming from the kitchen. I couldn’t quite make out who it was, well, besides my Grandma’s loud guffaw which I was sure could be heard for miles around. I looked down at my clothes and shrugged. Whoever it was would just have to get over it. I have always lived in my pajamas on the weekend. If they didn’t like it, oh well. />
  I pushed through the doors to the kitchen and immediately stopped. Three sets of eyes immediately latched onto me, but only one pair caught my attention. Seated around the table was Grandma, Brian, and of course, Chase. Our eyes connected, a smile creeping up his face, which caused my heart to sputter. He truly was one of the most beautiful guys I had ever seen. I was having a hard time getting past that point. How could such a small act cause such a strong reaction within me? Voodoo. Had to be. Yep. That’s what I was going with.

  I broke eye contact and walked over to the cabinet to grab a glass. I took my time filling it with water as I felt eyes boring into my back. I turned and raised the glass to my lips, taking small sips as I glanced at the kitchen’s current occupants. Grandma looked over at me, laughter filling her aging eyes again. She reminded me so much of Mom in that moment. Both of them had an easy mischief that seemed to consume them.

  “Mornin’ sleepy head. How’re ya feeling today?” she asked as she lifted her cup of coffee to take a sip.

  I slid into the chair beside her and set my glass down. “I’m great, thank you. And yourself?” If she wanted to play that game then I could definitely play along.

  “Never better. Chase and Brian came by this morning to bring me some fresh sausage from Denny’s Farm down the road. Wasn’t that sweet of them?” she asked, her eyebrows rose at me, daring me to disagree.

  “Peachy,” I replied with a saccharine smile. I didn’t dare look over at the guys seated across from us. I knew I wouldn’t be able to prevent a blush from rising if I became ensnared in his eyes again.

  “I won’t keep ya Ms. Betty. I’ve got to head home and see if Momma’s okay,” said Brian as he stood up to leave. “If you’re still having trouble with the truck tomorrow, just give me a holler. I can come over and take a look at it for ya.”

  “Thank you Brian. You’re a lifesaver. Tell your momma I said hello and that she should come by soon. I’m thinking of reinstating Sunday dinners around here,” she said as she stood as well.

  He nodded and they both walked out of the kitchen, leaving Chase and I behind. Alone. I ran my finger delicately along my glass of water, playing with the condensation that had gathered on the outside of the glass. I knew I was fidgeting, but I couldn’t control myself. There was something so unnerving about this boy!

  “I like your jammies. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen so many colors throw up on someone’s clothes.” I looked up at him, prepared to voice my outrage, but his smile disarmed me once again. He was taunting me, trying to get a rise out of me and damn if he hadn’t come close to succeeding. I wouldn’t let him win.

  “Thank you. I like your outfit as well. I have to say, Redneck Chic suits you quite well,” I replied, my sugary-sweet smile still firmly in place.

  “Ya haven’t heard? It’s the latest trend. I can help ya catch up, if ya want?”

  Caught off guard, I laughed out loud, covering my mouth quickly, trying hard to suppress the snort that I was sure was about to escape. His own masculine laughter joined with mine, mingling and building, until both of us were clutching our sides. I hadn’t had a good laugh in...well, forever. I heard the doors to the kitchen swing open again and glanced up as Grandma entered the room. She looked between us, her eyes searching for what had caused our raucous laughter.

  “I always miss the funny. Wanna fill me in?” she asked as she pulled a package of fresh sausage out of the fridge and slapped it on the counter.

  “It seems that our dear Chase here is a fashion guru. He has offered to help me learn the ins and outs of his style,” I replied as I looked over at Grandma. She scowled at me, but I continued anyway. “It seems that my style isn’t to his liking.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t say that. I really do like those pants. But I’m afraid you’re gonna have a hard time blending in around here if you continue to wear them,” he teased, laughing as he took in Grandma’s bewildered face.

  “Now who said I wanted to blend in?” I teased back, earning another scolding look from Grandma. I laughed and got up from the chair. “I guess I better go change. It was nice seeing you again Chase.”

  I left them in the kitchen and made my way up to my room, gently closing the door and the soft click echoed through the room. I took a deep breath to steady myself. It had taken every ounce of willpower for me to walk out of that room, especially when all I wanted was to climb into his arms and devour him. I had to get control of myself before I became one of those obsessed girls with a stalker-like crush. Yes, he was amazing to look at, and apparently had a killer sense of humor that I had only just discovered, but I couldn’t let him affect me this much.

  I got dressed as quickly as possible, putting on a light pink dress with capped sleeves and a ruffled hemline. I looked myself over in the mirror, twisting and turning to look at every angle, before sliding on a cream colored pair of ballet flats. It was starting look like my beautiful heels wouldn’t be making an appearance any time soon, and that thought made me sad. I had always loved a nice pair of heels, especially when they made my already long legs look even more stunning.

  I brushed my hair and pulled it up into a bun, desperately trying to control the unruly mess on my head. The humidity here had wreaked havoc on my hair, turning my once silky curls into frizzy piles of tangles. It seemed that my usual style would not work down here, once again.

  When I finally made my way back downstairs I was cool, calm, and looked absolutely stunning. I’m not conceited, but I know when I look great. Plain and simple. I waltzed back into the kitchen to find Grandma still standing at the stove, the smell of sausage filling my nose. Oh man. I hadn’t smelled something so delicious in months. Mom and Dad had been on a vegetarian kick for so long now that I had forgotten how great the smell of sizzling meat could be. I sniffed the air, trying to control the drool that began to pool in my mouth, before I noticed that Chase was still seated at the kitchen table. This time his attention was fixated on something in the backyard.

  “Anything interesting out there?” I asked casually as I sat down across from him. He didn’t acknowledge that I had spoken, so I tried again. “Hey! Earth to Chase!” I snapped my fingers in front of his face, finally catching his attention. His eyes looked a little glazed as he turned to face me.

  “Sorry. I stepped out for a moment. Did you say something?” he asked.

  “Nothing important,” I muttered, glaring at the window as if it was to blame for capturing his attention, something that I was making a concerted effort to gain I couldn’t see anything out there that would capture someone’s attention like that, which did more to irk me than his seeming inability to notice me.

  “Chase, are you staying for breakfast? There’s plenty here,” Grandma asked as she put the sausage on a plate and carried it over to the table.

  “I would love to Ms. Betty, thank you. Would you like some help?” he asked as he stood and helped Grandma gather the food and bring it to the table. What did I do? I stared at him as he moved around the kitchen. Not very helpful, I know, but if you could have seen the way his jeans clung to his body...well, you wouldn’t have been very helpful at that point either. It really should be a crime to look that good.

  We ate together, Chase and Grandma chatting the entire time. It seemed that they couldn’t run out of things to talk about. I learned that Chase and Brian both worked a second job year round, but cut their hours down to part-time during the summer so they could help Grandma out. Seemed silly to me, to want to spend your entire summer on a farm, sweating to death in that heat. They had to be slightly deranged to want to do that. I sure as hell didn’t find that to be a good use of freedom. Give me a beach, suntan lotion, and my favorite bikini, and I was set for the day.

  “Okay kids, I’ve got some errands to run in town, so I’ll leave you two to clean up this mess. Please, try to stay out of trouble.” The last part directed solely at me, which caused me to frown. I shot her an angry glare, but she had already turned her attention to Chase.

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nbsp; “Do ya want to drive my truck Ms. Betty? I would hate for yours to break down again,” offered Chase, his award-winning smile firmly in place.

  “That’s sweet of ya Chase, but if I do that, then you won’t have a way to get home. I’ll be fine, I promise,” she assured as she left the room. I heard the front door close as I sat at the table, staring in the direction she had gone.

  I stood and walked out of the room in a huff. Again, she was treating Chase better than me, trusting him to be the well behaved one. I walked into the living room and flopped down on the couch, throwing my head back as I tried to control the anger I could feel building. I had to calm down. I couldn’t let her words get to me like that.

  I closed my eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. After a few minutes my anger was in check, but my devious mind was working overtime. If she wanted to see trouble, I could show her trouble. Dad had always said it was my middle name, so maybe it was time to live up to everyone’s expectations. I heard Chase’s footsteps as he walked into the room. They slowed until he came to stand in front of my sprawled form.

  “You sure have a flair for the dramatics, don’t ya?” He sat down beside me on the couch and smiled at me.

  I sat up and locked eyes with him. “What’s there to do for fun around here? ‘Cause I’m in need of a release,” I said as I inched closer to him. My bravado began to slip as he closed the gap between us, his hand coming dangerously close to my knee.

  “I’m thinking you already have something in mind,” he replied, moistening his lips again. Damn him and those glorious lips. If he didn’t stop that soon we would both end up in a ton of trouble.

  “I want to get out of here. I need some excitement. Now.” I stood up and reached my hand down to help him up. “And I think you know where I can find what I need.”