Pleased to Meet Me

by J. L. Salter

  No words, but she’d paused too long.

  “What’s wrong now?”

  She looked frightened. “Suddenly I’m uneasy about what’s waiting for me down there.”

  He studied her closely.

  “Cody, I don’t know what I’ll be returning to.”

  “Once you see the town, you’ll figure things out.”

  ****

  Stacy had serious doubts anything would come back to her. “Are you sure?”

  Wilder nodded, his freshly-trimmed strong chin jutting slightly. The heavy beard had been covering more than his face—he had a thin, two-inch scar along his right cheekbone. He crammed the vehicle’s gear into reverse and swung around. Finally pointed down and west, he paused in neutral for a moment, but kept his foot on the gas pedal. “Okay, we’re heading back to your past and future.”

  But I like the present.

  She monitored him and his handsome, new, lightly stubbled face the whole way down Hardscrabble Mountain and created possible reasons for that dashing scar, all of which made him seem slightly dangerous. She wanted to explain she’d remembered the incident with him changing her tire, but there was too much noise and jostling for any conversation. Wilder alternately seemed in a real hurry to get rid of her...or possibly wishing they’d never left his cabin. Very strange. Without the long whiskers, his face was a lot more revealing, and there were times his expression appeared pained, as though maybe he, too, had some reservations. Couldn’t tell.

  Took about half an hour before they could see the town clearly. Wilder pulled off to one of the few overlooks and put it in neutral with the emergency brake on. He held down the accelerator enough to keep the motor from dying. “You ready for this, Stacy?”

  She hesitated, then nodded. “If I wasn’t ready, would I remember that I wasn’t?”

  “Don’t know. I’m no doctor, but it seems to me your gut would tell you true even if your memory’s still spotty.”

  “My gut says I’m scared.”

  “I can see that. Might be normal under these circumstances.”

  “Maybe so,” she replied slowly. “Whatever’s down there, whoever’s down there…”

  “Your worried husband, according to Constable Wyatt.”

  “Yeah.” She stroked her ring finger again. “Something still doesn’t feel right about the husband.” In my gut.

  “Well, once you see him maybe it’ll feel okay.”

  “But what if my life actually is filled with sadness...like you said?”

  “Stacy, you can’t let that turn you inside out. It was a brief flicker of light in your eyes. Maybe just a reflection. Probably nothing. I wouldn’t have even mentioned it…”

  “But I insisted.”

  “No, I meant, it wasn’t fair for me to mention it. Not under these circumstances.”

  “What circumstances, Cody?”

  “Never mind,” he said sadly. “It’s too late now anyway.”

  “For what?”

  His bright blue-gray eyes looked straight into hers. “Too late for us, Stacy.”

  “Us?” That’s a bombshell.

  He squirmed in his seat and revved the engine, clearly to distract her from his discomfort. “There was a brief string of moments, there up on the mountain, when I had this weird feeling that you and I...could possibly have some sort of future.”

  “But I’m evidently some ten years older than you.”

  Wilder scraped a bit of mud off the steering wheel. “Who’s counting years?”

  “Most people do.”

  “Stacy, in the mountains, years are like months...months are like weeks. And weeks are like days.”

  “Then I’ve lived with you for three weeks…”

  He smiled sadly. “No, it seems like only about three hours.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “I thought it went the other way in the mountains.”

  “Maybe so. But time also works differently in the, uh, heart.”

  “Cody, why didn’t you tell me any of this before…?”

  Clinching his scarred jaw, Wilder released the brake, stomped down on the clutch, and shoved the stick into gear. “We’d better go. You’ve got somebody waiting.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Even though there were moments when road noise was fairly low, Cody spoke no more for the remaining quarter hour along the final few switchbacks. According to the tower atop the small courthouse roughly in the center of town, it was about four o’clock as they entered Boar Mount. He pulled up to the constable’s office, a small corner of that complex, and waited with his boot lightly pressing the gas pedal.

  “You’re not coming in?”

  He shook his head. “I’m not very good at this kind of thing.”

  “I don’t understand. Not good at what?”

  It was a protracted goodbye, but he couldn’t mention how that seized him in the chest. “I’ve got to keep this motor revved.”

  “Oh.” Stacy started toward the office, then stopped. “Will you wait just a minute in case there’s any complication?”

  It’s already complicated. He just nodded.

  Stacy slowly took the half dozen steps and paused at the landing to look back at him. Then her shoulders sagged and she disappeared inside.

  Cody was about to drive away when Stacy suddenly reemerged and trotted down the stairs. “The dispatcher, or whoever, said the officer was next door. Which door?”

  “Oh, she probably means the café.” He pointed to a small building at his left.

  “Can I ask you again to wait? I had something else to tell you.”

  He nodded. Then he watched as the lovely but disheveled Stacy located Wyatt, sitting next to the café’s front window, and spoke to him without taking the seat he offered. The lanky constable gestured up the mountain and later pointed toward the west side of town. Then Wyatt hurriedly took a final slurp of his late afternoon coffee, waved to the cashier while pointing to his own chest, and then led Stacy back to his office.

  On her way, Stacy gave him another “please wait” signal in the form of praying hands just below her pretty chin. Wyatt waved to Cody and escorted Stacy inside.

  Can’t drag this out. Just as Cody was about to drive off again, the constable’s door opened.

  Waving a slip of paper, Stacy emerged, descended the six stairs in three strides, and trotted toward the vehicle.

  “Everything okay?”

  Deep lines in her forehead, she nodded. “He’s at the Grande Vista. Do you know it?” She handed him the tablet page.

  “Sure, a friend works there. It’s the old 1950s vintage motor court at the west edge of town. Hop in and I’ll take you over.” He eyed her reactions and expression as they began the half-mile drive. Boar Mount had a single traffic light near the courthouse at Main and First...and it stopped him. “Learn anything more about the guys who attacked you two?”

  “The constable said he finally pieced together a partial description from the other victim.”

  “Your husband.”

  “Yeah...husband.” Then she muttered, “Still feels funny.”

  The light turned green. “So Mr. Bishop gave them a description.”

  “Uh huh. Two white men, the older is possibly mid-thirties. Description didn’t match anybody that policeman knows around here.”

  “If they’re nearby in this county, Wyatt would know them.”

  “But the description was sketchy.”

  Cody nodded. “So you’re ready to go through with this?” He pulled into a space next to the motel office. “Which room?”

  She checked the note again. “Uh, number seven.”

  Since he knew where number one was, he counted and pointed to the corner of the L-shaped complex. “Okay. You’re on your own from here.”

  “Don’t you want to meet him?”

  “Your husband? No.”

  She pointed vaguely towards the direction they’d come from. “But the flyer said there’s a reward.”

  “I can’t accept m
oney for helping somebody.”

  “At the very least, I’m sure he’ll want to thank you.”

  “Better not.” Cody shook his head. “I don’t think we’d get along.”

  “Why not?”

  Just wouldn’t. “Besides I’ve got to keep this motor going.”

  “Okay.” Disappointed, or maybe worried, she looked like she might cry.

  “Well, maybe I’ll stay for a minute.”

  Stacy brightened.

  “You know, in case you need me for anything else.”

  She kissed him on the near bristly cheek and looked deeply into his eyes. “You’ve been wonderful, Cody. I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “You can thank me by being happy in your life, after you finally remember what it really is.”

  “I’ll definitely remember those three weeks in your cabin.”

  “Days, Stacy.”

  “Mountain weeks.”

  But only a few hours by heart time. Too corny to say out loud.

  She trailed her fingertips over his shoulder, but evidently couldn’t speak either.

  “Now get out of here before I call the constable.”

  She exited slowly and looked over her shoulder for a long time before paying attention to the room numbers.

  Cody thought about backing up to wait in the shade, but figured if he got the vehicle rolling, he might just take off for good.

  She knocked at number seven. A man opened the door, shouted her name, hugged her tightly, and kissed her neck. Stacy evidently remembered him after all, because she was obviously just as happy to see him.

  “Well, that’s that,” said Cody to the steering wheel. “Time to get you back to your cranky owner.”

  Suddenly the couple in the distance became very still and the man spoke to her earnestly as he held both of her elbows. Then she hugged him again and cried into his shoulder. It was clearly comfort he provided, but it didn’t seem to exhibit any marital passion. Maybe that would follow after Cody departed.

  And it was long past time to leave anyway. He’d almost engaged reverse gear when the motel clerk who’d been watching closely from inside the office approached. Cody waved absent-mindedly at his friend.

  “Glad you shaved off all that mess again, Cody,” she said. “Nice looking face like yours ought not be hidden away by those scraggly whiskers.” Doretta was mid-fifties, dark-skinned, and contentedly married, but loved to flirt innocently. “Keep it to that two-day stubble and I’ll keep making your favorite pie.”

  He’d heard it before...and her pies were delicious. “How’re you doing, Doretta?”

  “Okay, I guess. No business worth mentioning...except Mr. Bishop there.” She pointed, though it was hardly necessary. “I guess that’s the missing woman everybody’s been looking for.”

  “Yeah. And it seems she’s been found again.”

  “That Mr. Bishop’s been frantic to track her down,” added Doretta. “Where was she, anyhow?”

  “Evidently whoever attacked them took her farther up the mountain. Then either she escaped somehow or they got scared off. Not sure which.”

  “Well it’s a good thing you brought her down when you did. Mr. Bishop acted like he was gonna call the governor and get the National Guard up here.”

  “How come?”

  “Well, old Hoop let it slip that you’d borrowed his buggy and everybody figured that meant the road was passable after all.”

  “Old busybody.”

  “What took you so long getting back with her, Cody?”

  He explained about the storm, the washed out road, and Trigger losing a shoe. “Then I couldn’t get this stinking crate to start again. That’s why it’s idling now. If I turn it off, I might have to push it over to Hoop’s place.”

  “Oh. Well, I had a different notion.”

  “What might that be?”

  “That maybe you’d taken a shine to that pretty rich lady.” Doretta tried to pinch his stubbled cheek, but missed.

  “So she is rich?”

  “Well, I guess so. Mr. Bishop’s been flashing platinum cards all over the place and offering big rewards in cash.”

  “Did you see him when he came down from the mountain that night?”

  “Lordy, I guess so. And Friday the thirteenth, to boot. Took Wyatt and a medic to drag him inside.”

  “What kind of shape was that old guy in?”

  “Soaking wet, cold as a dead trout. Limping. Also something with his back or shoulder. Big knot on his head and I thought he had a shiner, but you can’t see it so much anymore.”

  “Did you catch any sight of those guys the constable was looking for?”

  “Not me,” replied Doretta. “But I heard two strangers came through town and they were noticed following that big luxury car over there. Guess they trailed the Bishops up the mountain road on their hike.”

  “Wonder why they didn’t just steal the car?”

  “I’ll bet the weather turning so bad got them worried about dragging back into town as muddy as barnyard boars and hopping into somebody’s fancy car.”

  “But they probably had his keys by then.”

  “Maybe so.” Doretta pointed over her shoulder. “It was Barney brought their car here to the motel the next morning.”

  “Moonlighting as a locksmith again?”

  “Hardware’s hardware.” Barney worked with Digger at the store.

  “Had they been here long?” He pointed toward number seven. “The Bishops?”

  “They weren’t staying here at all, ‘til the mister came down the mountain early Saturday.”

  “Hmm. Wonder where they’d been sleeping.”

  “Registration says they live in Johnson City. Might’ve driven in just for that day...Friday.”

  “Maybe so.” Cody sighed heavily. “I guess all’s well that ends well.”

  “Huh?”

  “Shakespeare.”

  “Who?”

  “The writer in London.”

  “London, Kentucky? Near Lake Cumberland?”

  “Never mind,” he groaned. “See you later, Doretta.”

  “Take care.” Then she smiled. “Next full moon, I’ll have another pie. Come see me on your way back up the mountain.” She headed back to her office, obviously eying room seven as she strolled.

  Just as Cody was about to drive the vehicle to Hoop’s house, Stacy turned and start running toward him, diagonally across the grassy area with under-utilized vintage playground pieces. Huh? What else could she possibly have to say? He’d already been here too long and good-bye was good-bye.

  She began waving one arm frantically as she leaped over a small bed of anonymous purple flowers bordering the playground.

  When he pulled on the emergency brake, left it in neutral, and jumped out to meet her, the engine coughed, the muddy frame shuddered painfully, and the dented vehicle promptly died. “Now what’s wrong, Stacy?”

  She flew into his arms and hugged him so tightly that neither could breathe.

  Cody expected the older man to approach with a gun or a baseball bat, but Bishop merely walked slowly toward them, a big grin on his face. “What on earth?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. Everything’s right.”

  “Stacy, what are you talking about?”

  “That’s not my husband!”

  “Well, who the blazes is he?”

  “My brother-in-law!”

  “So where’s this husband that’s been looking for you?”

  “He was never here. Everybody assumed Ronald was my husband because we have the same last name.”

  “You’d think Constable Wyatt would’ve straightened out that little detail.” Idiot. “So why do y’all have the same address?”

  “We live together. I mean at the same address.” Her hands fluttered. “Ron moved in to the attached apartment when his younger brother died. I was a mess for several months and he’s been kind of looking after me.”

  “Slow down, who was his brother?”

 
“My husband, Dennis. I’m a widow!”

  He pushed her away enough to scan her face. “Run that by me again.”

  “My husband died two years ago, around the first of May. Dropped dead with an aneurism.” Now that she was remembering things, she rattled them off with hardly a breath. “He and his older brother were really close. My brother-in-law is divorced and retired, so he has lots of time to kill. We’ve been great companions, it seems. In fact, I’m starting to remember some of it. We even travel together and go on hikes. We were here about nine months ago. That’s when I had the flat tire and you fixed it.”

  “I what?”

  “It’s why you looked so familiar to me. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. You fixed my flat, right here in Boar Mount.”

  “No way. When?”

  Back in August. I finally remembered the whole thing. I tried to pay you but you wouldn’t take any money. I said I had to offer you something, but you said maybe so but you didn’t have to take it.”

  “Oh, okay. I do remember that conversation. So that was you?” He looked her up and down. “You were really hot that day.”

  “You mean the weather?”

  “No, I mean you. Shorts with those beautiful tanned legs. I would’ve changed your tire for free any day.”

  “Oh, you chauvinist!”

  “Not a chauvinist. I’m a mountain man.”

  “Well, I’m Stacy Bishop, and I just found out I do have a child...a daughter.”

  “Where?”

  “Off at college in Knoxville...her second year. She’ll meet us tonight at home.”

  “I’d love to see her picture. Bet she’s pretty like her mom.”

  Stacy grinned and hugged him. “I’ll bring her to meet you.”

  Cody suddenly stiffened.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Don’t get ahead of things.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You need to go home, collect yourself...reassemble your memories.”

  She studied him carefully. “After this news, you’re sending me away?”

  Cody swallowed hard and looked to one side. “I have to.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two