by RD Jordan
“Granny, I don't have to see him when I get home. My time will be taken up with caring for my other therapy patients and getting the store back on its feet.”
Luckily for Suzy, they called for people in first class to board her flight. She wouldn’t have to continue this conversation with her grandmother. Not now anyway.
“Granny I have to go. They are calling for me to board. I will call you when I land. My flight to come home is three hours after my appointment. So I will be really late getting in. You don’t have to wait up for me. I love you,” she told her grandmother before quickly hanging up the phone.
* * * *
“I think your sister just hung up on me,” Geri told Jade.
“I’m sure she did. Granny, why would you want her to be with him? He is obviously just like his mother. She’s the reason I got kicked off the cheerleading team and the debut team. The people in this town are awful!”
“Jade baby, I know you’re angry and frustrated and I can’t say that I blame you. But you are doing the same thing they’re doing, you are judging an entire town based on the actions of a few. Baby, your sister loves Jamie and he loves her, don’t you want her to have happiness in this life? Don’t you want there to be someone who will take care of her for a change? That will be Jamie.”
“How can you say that?” Jade asked leaning against the kitchen sink with her arms crossed. “His mother runs around this town like an old hate filled tornado supposedly to protect him; and he never stops her.”
“I think my loving girl, that you will be surprised by him. I think very soon; Jamie is going to shock a lot of people in this town and in his own family.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Mercer and Sally were sitting in the den reading when they heard Jamie calling out for them.
“In here!” Mercer shouted back.
They were surprised to see Jamie walk in with two of the Merrik group’s top attorneys following behind him. Jamie was dressed like he was on his way to a business meeting, three-piece suit and all.
“Good Evening gentlemen,” Mercer said standing up to shake their hands. “Did I forget a meeting we were supposed to be having?”
Both lawyers looked to Jamie before lowering their heads and staring at their hands.
“No father, but this is as important as a board meeting. There are some things that need to be gone over tonight,” Jamie answered.
“Well, since you boys are going to talking shop. I’m going to excuse myself and go on up to bed.” Sally Mae seemed to sense the tension in the air.
“No mother. You should stay, these changes affect you too,” Jamie informed her.
Now she and Mercer really looked confused. Sally had never taken an interest in the company other than making demands, and making the employees miserable. “OKAY,” she said taking her seat again.
“As of eight o’clock this evening, I am the majority stockholder in Merrick Group. I have also purchased the mortgage for this land for more than twice of what it’s worth.”He could see the look of shock on his parent’s faces and he hated to be the one to put it there but his mother had to be stopped, and if his father wasn’t going to be strong enough to do it, then he would. “I know this is a shock to both of you. And Pops, whatever you may need in the future all you have to do is call. But you Mother as of today, you are cut off.”
“Excuse me!” she said jumping up. “Have you lost your dammed mind?”
“No mother, I’ve finally come to my senses. You have run around this town for far too many years stirring up discord and unhappiness and looking down on things that are none of your dammed business. But the final straw is the frenzy you are trying to work up about Suzy and her sickness! She could be hurt or worse!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sally defended while looking away from her son.
“Humph. Well, the good thing about being pissed off, you don’t need the wrong party to confirm they are wrong,” he sharply informed her. “Pops, I have made provisions for you to have access to what you need, that’s why they are here. You will be given a monthly allowance and any large purchase will have to be approved by them.”
“YOU CAN’T DO THIS!” Sally screamed. “Mercer, don’t just sit there. Do something!”
They all looked to Mercer as he stood and walked up to his son taking his hand shaking it. “I’m so proud of you,” he told him.
“WHAT?” Sally yelled. “You’re so weak, you always have been. I’ve had to rule this family and make sure we get the respect we need! I definitely couldn’t get any help from you.”
Mercer shook his head and turned to leave. “You may very well be right, Sally. But who as of five minutes ago has not a cent to their name?”
As Jamie turned to leave with his father, Sally shouted at his back, “You may sit in judgement of me all you want Jamie Merrik. But your hands are not clean. Have you told your precious sweetheart you let a man die on your watch because of his HIV status? How long do you think your ‘epic love’ will last when she learns the truth?”
Jamie stopped in his tracks realizing she was right. He would probably lose her forever when she found out who he was, really. That was a pain he would have to suffer when the time came. “You know mother, I don’t know. But I will tell you this, whatever her response is. You will still be an old bitter woman with no money,” he retorted then walked out.
* * * *
Los Angles California…
“Good Morning, Dr. Parks,” Suzy greeted as her doctor walked into her room. Dr. Parks had been one of hers when she’d been in practice, although he was a pediatric AIDS doctor; he was the best in his field and had agreed to see her as a favor.
“Good Morning Dr. Stephenson” he said giving her a hug. “It’s so good to see you!”
“It’s good to see you! Even if I did have to come back to LA to do it,” she said trying hard to keep the back of her gown closed.
“Well, no matter what brought you here. I’m glad to see you.” He studied her chart on his iPad. “So, you think your symptoms are getting worse?”
“Yeah, I’ve had the same cold and exhaustion for weeks now. I had a bacterial infection in my hand from a bad cut. I went through four different antibiotics to get rid of it. I just thought I needed to see and talk with you.”
“Well, while I agree with you, the early symptoms of HIV are sometimes very mild and can be easily dismissed as cold and flu symptoms like swollen glands, rashes, infections, and low grade fevers. We have tested you up the wazoo this morning and I can happily tell you, you’re T-cell count is WONDERFUL.”
“Are you sure?” Suzy asked him nervously.
“I’m sure. I can tell from your tests; you have been keeping up with your regimen. So what has panicked you so much, that you had to run all the way to LA? Aren’t you loving being in your home town?”
Taking a deep breath Suzy looked around the children’s hospital room. Smiling at the irony of her being in one of these rooms, with clowns painted on the walls, to glass jars filled with suckers for the “good” kids who came in for their appointment. First of all, she was a an adult sitting on an examine table in a hospital gown with ducks all over it. Secondly, there was a time in her life, when she walked into this room and was the authority…she was the doctor.
“I’m not stressed,” she lied. “I mean I had to help a child and ended up exposing him to my disease; but the doctors have taken exceptional care of him,” she explained quietly.
“I’m sorry about that,” Dr. Parks said solemnly. “I know you left your practice to protect your patients from exposure. But you have to know you did the right thing. I don’t believe you would have taken that risk, if you didn’t believe that child needed you.”
“I do. It’s harder to get over it when you live in such a small town.”
“I’m sure. How are Jade and Geri?” he asked.
“Jade is good, having a little trouble adjusting. But we will get through that, she’s a good girl. A
nd Granny is trying to marry me off to my first love.”
“Not interested?”
“Well, not in the way I should be. How can I be?” she asked stunned that he would even think she should start a relationship.
“I don’t understand?” he asked looking confused.
“Well, how can I have a normal relationship? Fall in love, make a family with HIV? I don’t care how I feel about him, or maybe because of how I feel about him. I won’t risk his life,” she replied frustrated she kept having to explain what to her, seemed only like common sense.
“Dr. Stephenson, I am more than surprised at your point of view here. You know just as well as I do, the low risk level of you partner getting your illness if you are taking the proper precautions.”
She did know. Although she wanted to convince herself that she was keeping Jamie at bay for him, really it was for herself. She couldn’t hope, that was the last thing she needed. “I know…” She looked out through the window.
“Suzy, if you love him. Which from the look on your face, I believe that you do. Don’t deprive yourself, don’t banish yourself to exile. If he wants to be with you. Then give it a chance. I promise you these test results are not those of a sick woman.”
He was saying almost the exact same thing her grandmother had been saying.
Jamie’s declaration had been all she’d been able to think about. She wanted so much to have that life, have the dream. To be able to go back to that fork in the road and make a better choice but there was an old saying she truly believed. You can never go home again.
“I can hear your wheels turning,” Dr. Parks said laughing. “Listen, do me a favor. Go home, because you are not sick. You are tired, stressed, maybe even scared. But not sick. Go home, give him a chance, let your guard down. Give yourself a chance to be happy. Do you think you can do that?”
Suzy nodded in the affirmative, not sure, if she could. “I’ll try” she finally replied.
“Great. Now I hate to cut this short, but I have small people waiting for me and they are never really patient. It was so good to see you, my friend.”
“You too,” she said hugging him.
“Tell that grandmother of yours I said hello. I miss that spitfire.”
“I sure will,” she said as he closed the door behind him.
While she did feel elated, the news had been so good. She still had a feeling something bad was about to happen.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
It wasn't the old barn door that needed mending that was bothering Jamie. It wasn't the grease covering his hands, or his aching leg. Or the fact that he was starving, or knew that he was too tired to cook himself a meal after such a long day of work. Neither was it that his son was getting sick, and keeping him up at night…or his mother constantly breathing down his neck.
It was the pair of headlights that were bothering him. The pair of headlights slowly worming their way down the old dirt road that led from the farm out to the highway in a cloud of kicked up dust and rocks.
The car that eventually came to a stop next to his old ford pickup wasn't fancy. He knew instantly it wasn't his mother, father or their ranch hands coming to bring him the deed to what was now his land. It was an old red Chrysler La Baron. The kind that had the white vinyl convertible top, which in this case was just as worn and aged as the rest of the car. When the lights kicked off, and the driver’s door opened, Jamie sauntered over to greet whoever it was. “Good evening—” he started, only to cut himself short when he saw whom it was.
She was no stranger to him, no matter how many years, months, weeks and days he was away from her, she was unmistakable to Jamie. “Suzy?” he asked half dazed. “What are you doing here? Is everything okay?”
“Yes,” she answered timidly.
“What are you doing h-here?” Jamie stammered out, still in shock. “I heard you left town.”
“I did, I had some business to take care of in LA.” Suzy was a few years younger than Jamie, though neither of them could be considered young anymore. Standing there, she didn't look any different than the last time they’d seen each other when they were seventeen years old. She still had the same bright eyes, her skin still looked soft and silky, and covered in freckles, her lips still the perfect twizzler kiss. Her hips still had the flirtatious curves that Jamie had fallen in love with so many years ago.
“What are you doing here?” Jamie asked again as the shock of her arrival slowly wore off.
“I don't know Jamie…I hope I'm not intruding?”
“Not at all!” He dropped the grease rag from his hands as he wrapped his arms around her. “I can't believe you're here,” he added with her head resting against his chest.
“Neither can I,” she said as he held her in the cool moonlight.
For a moment, they just stood there, holding each other, feeling as if the last twenty years had never passed at all.
* * * *
“Momma told me what you did with your parent’s farm. I hope that wasn’t because of me,” Suzy said, as she pulled herself back from the hug. She’d done all that she could to talk herself out of going to Jamie when she came home and throwing herself at his feet naked. But it hadn’t worked. When she’d gotten home and her grandmother told her the stunning, yet ironic turn of events Jamie had bought the mortgage for his family’s land and five ranch properties from the bank. So he was now his mother’s landlord, so to speak.
“Yeah, I did. And to be honest, yes it did.” Jamie chuckled, picking his grease rag back up from the dirt. “What about you Suzy? Did you get your business handled in LA?”
“I did. It went pretty well, if I say so myself.”
“So then what are you doing all the way out here?” Jamie asked.
For a second, Suzy didn't answer. She may have rehearsed a thousand times on the plane what she intended to say when she saw him. Now, all her words seemed to fail her. When the silence became awkward, she finally admitted the truth, “You, Jamie…You're what brought me out here.”
“Me?”
“Yeah,” she answered hastily. “I've pursued my dreams and done everything I ever wanted to do in life except one thing. I have more than I could have ever dreamed of having, except for what I've always truly wanted.”
“What’s that?” Jamie asked.
“You.” She chuckled. “Did I not just make that clear?”
“Well, I see your sarcasm hasn't lessened.”
“Oh, how dare you,” Suzy teased, slapping him on the shoulder.
“It's been weeks since we last saw each other. And it seemed like you were very sure of your decision.”
“I know,” she answered, timid again.
“I don’t want just a right now, Suzy. I want a wife, kids and all the things that go along with this love. Can you do that?”
“I know what you’d wanted, yes.”
“I need you to know there has never been anyone but you. Not in the way that counts Suzy. I didn't really have the heart to make another go at it with anyone else. After we ended, I…well, you know the rest.”
“Are you happy?” Suzy asked.
“I guess. As happy as one can be, I suppose.”
“Do you ever wonder about us?” Suzy pressed on.
“Yes, I do! But you didn't drive all the way out here just to ask me a question I’ve already answered for you several times since you came back, did you?” Jamie asked, seeming to know full well she was being her usual dance around the question self.
“No, not really.”
“Then why are you here?” Jamie asked yet again.
For a moment, Suzy just stood there, then brazenly, she made her move.
Jamie didn't stop her, as she moved closer to him. He didn't stop her as she slid one hand up the back of his neck, running her fingers through his short hair. He didn't stop her as she pulled him in to kiss. The second their lips touched, it was if they were seventeen all over again. Her skin still tasted sweet like vanilla, her breath still as soft as it was d
ecades ago. It wasn't long before they were both tangled up in each other, their tongues dancing around each other’s mouths.
Jamie made the first real move, taking Suzy by the hand, pulling her back towards the poorly lit barn. Neither of them spoke, it’d been so long since either of them had known the touch of one another, that they weren't about to stop the urges burning through them.
Suzy wanted nothing more than for Jamie to lay her down on the hay like he’d done so many years ago.
Jamie wanted nothing more than to make love to the woman he'd lost in another lifetime.
With the wind picking up and creaking through the boards of the barn, they made their way to the back where the hay lay underneath and old tarp.
“Should we go inside?” Jamie asked, realizing the barn might not be the best place in the world.
“No Jamie, I think this is where it all started, so it seems perfect to me.” She smiled as she began to undo the buttons on her blouse.
* * * *
Slowly, in the moonlight shining down from the sky light in the barn, Jamie watched as Suzy disrobed in front of him. As she stood there, naked as the day she was born, he couldn't believe how beautiful she looked. As she pushed him back against the pile of hay and climbed on top of him, it felt like they had never spent a day apart.
He remembered every curve of her body like he'd been studying it for years. He remembered how she liked to be kissed, how she loved his hands exploring every curve, the way she liked him to take control. Suzy seemed to remember every dirty little thing Jamie liked as well, the way he liked her tongue against his skin, the way he liked her nails dragging up his thighs.
With the cool night air against their skin, they pawed at each other like they used to when they first met. They kissed like it was the last time they might ever kiss anyone. They touched each other like it was the first time exploring each other. It didn't matter that decades separated them from the past, what mattered was they were together again.
