by Dylann Crush
Until Theo ruined it. “You mind sharing some of that? I don’t mean to interrupt, but you look like you’re having an intimate moment with our lunch and I’d really like to eat.”
“How old are you?” I lowered the bread to my lap and reached for the bread knife he’d unpacked.
“Why?” His brow lowered like he was suspicious of my motives.
I shrugged. “Just wondering.”
“Twenty nine.”
“Mmm. That explains it.” I shrugged again.
“Explains what?” He took the two slices of bread I handed him and spread Mrs. Cahill’s homemade chicken salad over one side. The scent of dill and mayo tickled my nose, making my mouth water in anticipation.
“You’re a younger man. It makes sense that you haven’t reached my level of maturity yet.” Finished with slicing, I slid the sharp knife back in its protective case and wrapped the bread back up in the towel. I wasn’t sure how she managed it, but the center still felt warm.
“Because you’re so much older and so much more mature?” Theo slapped his sandwich together and took a huge bite.
“Evidently. I’m not the one trying to turn the conversation to crude sexual references.” I reached for the chicken salad, but Theo grabbed it first and held it just out of reach.
“You’re the one who called my fingers sausages.”
“Yes. Because they’re thick and long and, Jesus, just give me the chicken salad, will you?” I tried to reach for it but his hand went even higher.
“Sure. Right after you apologize for offending me.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Offending you?”
“Yes. For comparing my appendages to meat.”
“You’re not serious?” The way his mouth set in a firm line, I wasn’t sure. He couldn’t be that sensitive, could he?
“Well, unless you say you’re sorry, I guess you’ll never know.” He picked up his sandwich with his free hand and took a bite. “Mmm. This chicken salad is delish. Mrs. Cahill runs a catering business, doesn’t she?”
Nodding, I contemplated my options.
He licked his lips. “I could eat this all day every day for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. It’s that good.”
I was practically drooling at that point. I’d had Mrs. Cahill’s cooking before and, while I might not agree with much of what Theo went on about, he was one-hundred percent correct about the quality of her chicken salad.
“Fine. I’m sorry.”
“For…” Theo prodded.
“For comparing any of your appendages to meat.”
“Thank you.” He lowered his arm and handed me the container of chicken salad. “By the way, if you’re going to compare any part of me to meat…”
“Yes?” I glanced up from where I was loading my bread with a generous helping of filling.
“I’d like you to be more accurate. See, a sausage doesn’t really do me justice. It’s more like a bratwurst.”
“You’re like a teenager. I think Rodney and his friends are more mature than you.” Snapping the lid back on the container, I flicked my gaze to Theo.
“A big bratwurst.” He nodded.
“Fine. Mr. Big Bratwurst, bat guy extraordinaire, what’s your plan for the rest of the afternoon?” I played it off but I was enjoying Theo’s company. Yes, he had the sense of humor of a twelve-year-old male. But truth was, so did I. I just hadn’t displayed it as enthusiastically as he had. In order to survive as a single parent of a kid like Rodney, I’d had to develop the skill to laugh at his inappropriate humor. And the truth was, he really was funny. Rodney, that is. Not Theo. Theo was adorable in a geeky, bull in a china shop kind of way. A way that I was beginning to enjoy and appreciate more than I should.
He finished his sandwich in a few bites and made himself another. Dottie would be in seventh heaven having someone around who enjoyed her cooking this much. I’d have to be careful or she’d probably figure out a way to entice him to move in permanently just so she could feed him.
“Are there any other caves around? I need to head home later on this afternoon. I’m spending next week making the rounds of some schools in Kentucky. But we probably have time to check one more before I head out.”
My stomach clenched at the thought of Theo leaving. Of course he had to go. Swallow Springs was nothing but a pit stop for pretty much anyone who wasn’t born there. He’d stopped in for one reason and one reason only: to find those creepy flying things. If he couldn’t find evidence of their existence around here, then he’d move on to the next set of caves.
“Let me take another look at that footage.” I pulled up the video on my phone. Rodney told me it was around here. I was sure about that. But Theo was right, the entrance to the cave on the video looked slightly different than the one we’d been traipsing around in all morning. Without any major landmarks though, it would be virtually impossible to know where to find it. Maybe there was something on the audio track that would give me a clue. I maxed out the volume and pressed the phone to my ear, listening for a clue as to where the cave might be. Crickets chirped and the soft flutter of wings. But there was something else in the background.
I handed the phone to Theo. “Hey, see if you hear something in the background.”
He held my phone to his ear and pressed his palm against the other. After he played it through twice, he cocked his head and met my gaze. “Water? Does it sound like a stream or something gurgling in the background?”
I grinned. “Yeah, I heard it too. I’ve got one other place we can check. It’s just a short walk from here.”
He began to pack up our lunch, then loaded it into the back of the truck. “Lead the way.”
19
Theo
Scarlett led me past a strand of trees, and my truck disappeared from view. I noted the direction, just in case she got herself turned around. After our illuminating discussion last night about east and west, I didn’t have one-hundred percent faith in her ability to find the way back to the truck.
We walked about a half mile with nothing but the sound of the breeze as company. I guess I’d exhausted my conversational skills during lunch. She was right about my immature sense of humor. Having spent most of my life either around a bunch of nerdy science lovers, or in a locker room brimming with testosterone, I’d been immersed in bathroom humor most of my life. As we crested a small hill, I saw it. The narrow opening of a cave faced a small stream. As we got closer, the water gurgled and bubbled over the rocky bottom. That was the noise we must have heard on the video. With a huge sense of relief, I turned to Scarlett.
“You think this is it?” I asked.
Her shoulders rose and fell in an adorable shrug. “I hope so. It sounds the same as the video Rodney posted. I guess there’s only one way to find out.” She took a step toward the mouth of the cave.
“Wait!” I put a hand out to catch her. “You can’t go in there yet.”
“Why not?” A look of understanding crossed her features. “Oh, right. The headlamp.”
“No, it’s not the headlamp.” I grimaced. How could I have forgotten to mention this? “So bats are subject to a very contagious disease called white nose syndrome.”
“Okay.”
“Scientists have been trying to find a cure but so far they’ve been unsuccessful.”
“That’s too bad.”
“It really is.”
“And what does this have to do with us? Oh, wait. Can people catch it?” She jerked back.
“No, that’s not the issue. People can’t catch it but they can spread it by going from cave to cave. Once a bat’s infected it can spread to the whole colony and wipe out an entire population.”
Her forehead crinkled. “So you’re afraid we’re spreading some super contagious bat disease? But there weren’t even any bats in the last cave.”
I gave my head a slight shake. “Doesn’t matter. Best practices are to thoroughly clean your equipment and clothes before moving from cave to cave. I don’
t suppose you brought a change of clothes, did you?”
“No.”
Damn. That was my fault. I always carried an extra set with me for just this reason. I glanced at my watch. We didn’t have enough time to go back to her place and grab extra clothes. Not if I wanted to be on the road by late afternoon. That left me with two choices.
“I guess we’re down to two options.” I held up a finger. “Either we come back another time—”
“But you’re heading back to Illinois tonight, aren’t you?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Or?”
“Or”—I held up another finger—“I head in alone.”
“And I just sit out here and twiddle my thumbs?”
“Yeah. And maybe keep track of the end of the rope. If I get in a jam I’ll jerk on it.”
“So what do you want to do?” She glanced up at me.
The thought of going into the cave alone made my pulse skitter. It wasn’t logical, I knew it was the fear from my past that caused the physical reaction. But there wasn’t anything I could do about it. I weighed the pros and cons. If I went in, I’d find out for sure if this was the right cave. If it was, I could come back another time, maybe next weekend, and take a longer look. If I tucked tail and went back to Scarlett’s now, I’d have to wait a week before I’d have time to get out this way again. And I wasn’t’ sure I could trust her. If I stayed away a week she might tell the whole damn town what I’d been up to and my chance to elevate my status from pretty face marketing man to authentic researcher could evaporate.
That left me no choice. “I’m going to go in.”
“You sure you’re up for it?”
I turned to face her, expecting to see humor in her eyes. But the only sentiment I saw reflected was concern. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’ll just take a quick look and see if I find any evidence. I’ll be back out before you know it.”
“Okay, then.”
“Do you mind maybe turning your back while I change?”
“You could always step around to the other side of the tree if you’re that shy,” she suggested.
I grabbed my clothes from the bag I’d left outside the cave and walked around to the opposite side of a thin tree. Shedding my jacket, I tossed it into a plastic bag I’d brought along for just that reason.
“So is there anything you need me to do while I’m sitting around out here?” She had her back to me.
“No. Just get comfortable.” I reached over my head and pulled my t-shirt off. Even though she couldn’t see a thing, my skin warmed. Within moments I’d swapped out my jeans and shirt and was ready to take on the cave all by myself.
“Be careful.” She followed me to the entrance. “What do I do if you don’t come back?”
I faced her, careful not to let any part of her clothes touch me. “I’ll be back in an hour. If I’m not, call 9-1-1. If I get in trouble I’ll jerk on the rope, okay?”
“You sure an hour’s enough time?”
“We’ll make it an hour and a half. You okay waiting here that long?”
“Doesn’t seem like I have much of a choice. But don’t expect there to be any of Mrs. Cahill’s cookies when you get back.”
I grinned. Scarlett was a good sport. “No problem. Just make sure you give me some more of that hot fudge sauce to take home with me tonight.”
She smiled back and gave me an awkward pat on the shoulder. “Go get ‘em, bat guy.”
I tightened the rope around my waist and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
Here goes nothing.
20
Scarlett
Theo had been gone for twenty minutes, and I was already bored out of my mind. I’d read over my email, messed around for a few minutes on a couple of apps, and now sat with my back up against a tree, counting down the minutes until he’d be back. I tried closing my eyes and taking a cat nap. With my end of the rope wrapped around my wrist, I was sure I’d be alerted if he tugged on the rope. Every once in a while the rope would tug gently or vibrate. It gave me some level of peace knowing that we were still connected, even though he’d disappeared into a mouth in the earth.
With over an hour left to kill, I figured I’d catch up with Jaylene and see if I’d missed out on anything important by leaving the reunion early. She answered before it even had a chance to ring.
“I was wondering when I’d hear from you. Are you done with your spelunking adventure with the hot bat guy?”
“No. He went into another cave and left me up top to keep an eye on things.”
“Why aren’t you with him? I thought it might be romantic for the two of you to be exploring the pitch darkness together.”
I picked up a dandelion and twisted the stem in my fingers as I wedged my phone between my shoulder and my ear. “It’s a long story.”
“Well, I’m on my way back home, so I’ve got time to kill in the car. Spill it.”
“We went through one cave this morning, but he didn’t find any bats. Now he’s off to another cave, but I couldn’t go with him because of some bat disease.”
“What?” The line crackled. “It sounded like you said you caught a bat disease?”
“No. There’s a super contagious bat disease that people spread from cave to cave unless they change their clothes in between.”
“Oh.”
“And I didn’t have spare clothes so I have to stay up here while he goes down.”
“Mmm. So he’s going down?”
“Well, yeah. Into another cave.”
Jaylene laughed. “Oh, hon, your inability to seize the ‘that’s what she said jokes’ makes you such an easy target.”
My face flushed when I realized what she meant. Usually I was on top of my game. Lack of sleep must have made me slow on the uptick. A change of subject was definitely in order. “Tell me about last night. What happened after we left?”
“Oh, the usual. April pandered to the crowd. She staged some crazy showcase of revisiting the past by bringing up the Homecoming and Prom courts from when we were in school.”
“Ugh.”
“Yeah. The band was okay when they finally had a chance to play. And I had a chance to dig up a few rumors from some of the locals that I hadn’t heard yet. You’ve been holding out on me.”
“I’ve done no such thing. You know you’re my number one. Dish, now.” I scratched my back on the trunk of the ancient oak I’d settled against and prepared to get an earful about the happenings of my hometown.
“Well, evidently there’s trouble in paradise. I heard from one of April’s besties that she and Judd have been fighting lately.”
“About what?”
“I guess Judd Junior doesn’t even want to play football. He told his mom and dad he’d rather play the bassoon instead. I mean, that kid’s been fed a ‘rah-rah team,’ ‘football is everything’ diet his entire life.”
My throat felt like it was squeezing shut. I wheezed in a breath, trying to fill my lungs.
“You okay?” Jaylene asked.
“Yeah. Fine.” My fingers scrambled to unscrew the top of my water bottle, and I took a huge swig. “What else?”
“Oh, just that April is positively beside herself. She can’t imagine what people will think if the football coach’s kid doesn’t play football. I feel sorry for him. Can you imagine the pressure they must be putting on him to do something he doesn’t want to do?”
Yes, yes, I could. April had been head cheerleader and Judd had played on the football team all four years of high school. Friday Night Lights weren’t just a concept in their home. They were a non-negotiable way of life.
“That’s too bad.” I made my voice as even as possible. I’d always wondered about Judd Junior. Since April and I avoided each other as much as possible, I hadn’t spent much time around the kid. But he didn’t strike me as having the same competitive attitude as his mom and dad.
“Can you imagine what she’ll do if he quits the team? Who would take over as president of the bo
oster club?”
Who, indeed. If Judd Junior did quit football, it would make my life easier in one way and probably much, much harder in another. April might stop coming to the games and forcing comparisons between Rodney and Judd Junior. But it would also probably put Judd Senior’s focus solely on developing those players who did want to play the game. Like my son.
My phone beeped. Low battery. Shoot. I hadn’t plugged it in when we’d gotten back last night. Glancing toward the hill, in the direction of the truck, I wondered if Theo had a charger in there. Then I remembered him using his phone last night. We didn’t have the same brand. Even if he did have a charger, it probably wouldn’t work.
“Hey, Jaylene, my battery is almost dead and I need to conserve it in case Theo runs into trouble. Can I call you later?”
“You’d better. And when are you coming up to visit me for a change?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been pretty busy.” I’d love to take off to Kansas City for a girls’ weekend but it never seemed to work out.
“You’re always busy. Scott and I are talking about moving in together.”
“What?” The shock made me jerk my head up and sent my phone tumbling into some tall grass. By the time I retrieved it, Jaylene was still laughing.
“Did you drop me?”
“Yeah, I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you tell me that yesterday? That’s the kind of news you don’t keep to yourself.” She deserved every bit of happiness she’d have with Scott. But I couldn’t help but wonder if and when my own happily-ever-after might show up.
“I know. But you were busy with the bat guy and I knew I’d get around to it eventually. I’d love to have you come up and help me house hunt sometime.”
“House hunt? Aren’t you going to take it slow and try an apartment first? Maybe a townhome rental?”
“Honey, I’m thirty-three years old. We’ve been dating for four years. If this doesn’t work out then I’ve got bigger problems than whose name is on the mortgage. And besides, by the time we move in together, we just might—”
