by Dylann Crush
Footsteps sounded on the front porch and I braced myself. Rodney entered, his hair a mess, his face flushed.
“Hey, hon. Good day at practice?” I held a wine glass in my hand, hopeful it would provide a tiny bit of liquid courage for the conversation ahead.
“Yeah. I’m gonna grab a quick shower. What’s for dinner?”
“Spaghetti and meatballs. Homemade sauce. Your favorite.”
“Mmm.” His lips quirked up in a grin and a dimple popped on the left side of his mouth. The same damn dimple Judd had. If anyone had paid any attention over the years, surely they would have been able to see the signs. “Can’t wait. I’ll make it quick.”
“Okay.” I returned to the kitchen as he headed down the hall.
As I stirred the sauce I thought about how best to start the conversation. Hey Rodney, big news. Turns out your dad is very much alive and you’ve actually known him all of your life. Or maybe I’d be better off saying something like, Surprise. Your asshole dad finally decided he didn’t want to ignore you anymore. No matter how I tried to spin it in my head, I couldn’t seem to come up with a good way to break it to him.
The water turned off and I knew it was just a matter of moments before Rodney would appear in the doorway, his hair damp from his shower, a smile on his face as he anticipated his favorite meal. Damn Judd Waite for being a constant burr in my side. I set my wine glass on the table and fixed a plate piled high with noodles, meatballs and sauce.
“Hey, Mom. Thanks a lot for making dinner tonight.” Rodney took the plate I handed him and added two slices of garlic bread to the edge.
He’d changed so much over the years, but I could still see him as a teetering toddler with a big toothy grin. He’d been such a happy kid. The bomb I was about to drop would destroy him.
“Aren’t you eating?” He took his seat and shook the grated Parmesan over his mound of noodles.
I shifted the wine glass from one hand to the other as I steeled myself for the conversation ahead. “I’m not really that hungry. I’ll probably grab some later.”
He twirled a forkful of noodles then shoved it into his mouth and nodded.
“How is it?” I asked.
“Mmm. Good,” he said, around a mouthful of pasta.
Taking in a deep breath, I pumped myself up. Better to get it over with. “So, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh yeah?” Rodney reached for his water. “There’s something I want to talk to you about too.”
“Oh. Well, why don’t you go first?” My heart warmed at the thought of delaying my pain.
“You sure?”
“Of course. Tell me what you want to talk about.” Relief swept through me.
“You might not like it.” My son’s eyes narrowed as he drew his brow down.
“What is it?”
He reached over and covered my hand with his. This wasn’t typical Rodney behavior. Something was wrong.
“What’s going on?” I couldn’t keep my voice from rising. He had a look in his eyes I hadn’t seen before. “Tell me.”
“Well…” He looked away, studying the edge of his plate like it held all of answers to all of his problems.
“What is it, honey? You can tell me anything.” I gave his hand a squeeze, intending to provide a little comfort and reassurance.
“I don’t know how to say it so I just will. Coach Waite told me he’s my dad. Is it true?”
My vision spun like I’d just stepped onto a tilt-a-whirl. I reached out with my free hand to grab the edge of the table to steady myself. Instead I knocked over my wine glass, sending it crashing to the floor and splattering drops of red wine all over the table.
“Mom? Are you okay?” Rodney’s voice seemed to come from far away, like he was yelling at me through a tunnel.
I gasped for air, drawing a deep breath into my lungs. “I’m fine. Just give me a minute.”
He pushed back from the table and gathered the shards of glass littered along the vinyl floor. How long had he known? When did Judd tell him? How did he feel about all of this? I forced my brain to slow down. One question at a time.
“When did he tell you that?” I managed to keep the tremble out of my voice as I stood and grabbed the broom and dustpan next to the fridge.
“At practice the other day. Is it true?” Rodney dumped the glass in the trash bin then reached for a roll of paper towels.
He didn’t seem upset. He seemed…excited. I ran the broom over the floor, sweeping up the last pieces of glass. “It’s true.”
Rodney looked up from where he’d been wiping up the spill. “How come you never told me?”
There it was. The question I’d been dreading.
“You told me my dad was gone. But all this time, he’s been right here. Living in the same town. Why?” His eyes held a hint of hurt and a whole heck of a lot of accusations.
“What did Judd say about that?” I had to know how Judd had spun this. Surely he’d made himself out to be the victim, even though he was the one who’d insisted on keeping his identity a secret.
“He said you both decided it was for the best. That he didn’t want you to have to deal with everyone knowing he was my dad. He said it would have made it harder for you.”
Of course he did. Disgust for the man I’d once considered the perfect man filled my heart. “That’s not exactly how I saw things.” I couldn’t afford to tell Rodney the whole truth. Not now that he was going to look at Judd like some long lost hero who’d swooped in to rescue him from being raised by a single mom.
“He said he’s missed me all these years and wants me to come live with him so he can work with me on my football. That I’m good enough to go to the pros if I work really hard.”
“Over my dead body.” I covered my mouth with my hand. I didn’t mean to yell. Rodney’s eyes went wide.
“He said if I move in with him, he’ll pay for me to go to that football camp next summer. You said we couldn’t afford it so this is the only way I’ll be able to go.”
“Let’s calm down. We need to talk this through.”
“Why did you lie to me, Mom? All those years I thought my dad was long gone. I could have been getting to know him. Coach Waite, I mean, my dad, knows all about football. There’s so much he can teach me. Why would you keep me from that?”
“Rodney, I’m sorry. I really am. But there’s a lot more to this situation than you understand.” I wanted to pull him into a hug like I used to do when he was little.
“Theo was right. He said you’d overreact when you found out I knew about this.”
“What?” I couldn’t have heard him right. Theo. He meant Judd. How would Theo know Rodney knew the truth? “You mean Judd. And I’m not overreacting. I just want to slow down for a minute. Let’s sit down and talk.” I pulled my chair away from the table.
“I mean Theo. He said you’d be upset when you found out I knew. I can’t believe you kept this from me.”
My voice faltered. I tried to say something but all I could do was stand there as Rodney stormed out of the kitchen. The front door opened and slammed shut behind him. I slumped into my chair, my hands shaky, my heart breaking into a million pieces. This couldn’t be happening. All I’d ever wanted to do was protect Rodney. He’d been my top priority for the past fifteen years. I couldn’t and I wouldn’t let Judd waltz in after all this time and ruin everything I’d worked so hard for.
If Rodney wanted to go to football camp, I’d figure out a way to make that happen. The treasure. I could find the treasure and we could move somewhere else, start fresh. Or I could show Rodney that I had the money and he could still go to camp. I’d make it work. I didn’t have a choice.
And Theo… my promise to wait for Theo to go down in the cave again rang in my ears. I thought I could trust him. I thought he was the one. How dare he interfere in my relationship with my son. How long had he been keeping secrets from me?
Slowly, deliberately, I cleaned up the dinner mess, takin
g care to put the leftovers in the fridge in case Rodney came back hungry. He’d blow off some steam and be back before bedtime. He’d done this kind of thing before. But I needed to get down in that cave. And I wasn’t going to sit around and wait for Theo. Screw him and his creepy bats. I needed that treasure if I wanted to save my family.
With a plan starting to take shape in my head, I grabbed the scrub brush and went to work on the pasta pot. This was far from over.
39
Theo
I tried calling Scarlett. Voicemail again…the fifth time in the past two days. She was either avoiding me or something bad had happened. Being off in Kentucky, making the rounds of community groups, I felt so far away. At least I’d be back in Swallow Springs this weekend. I couldn’t wait to set my eyes on her and, more importantly, my hands. Missing Scarlett Jarrett had become an all-consuming diversion. It had reached the point where I was ready to change my home base to be closer to the woman I couldn’t get out of my head.
As I checked the GPS to set it to my next location, my phone rang.
“Hey, Dad.”
“Theo. I received your messages. What do you need?” Even through the phone I could tell he was distracted by something else. Having my dad’s full attention was about as likely as discovering a colony of hibernating Indiana bats. Although, I’d managed to do that thanks to Scarlett. Maybe I had a chance at getting Dad to focus on the conversation for a few minutes.
“Thanks for calling. I’ve been leaving messages for days, trying to get in touch with you about that bat gate you want to put in the cave in Swallow Springs. I was just curious about plans.” Casually curious. That’s all. If I could get a sense of timing I’d have a better idea of how long I’d have to get Scarlett what she needed.
“Good news on that front. I brought someone on full time who’s a certified welder and has experience installing bat gates in some of the largest cave entrances in the US. He said he’s free to take a look this week.”
No. That wasn’t good news. Lewis had been right. “Really? Don’t you need to make arrangements for financing? This is a government project, right?” In my experience, trying to get a state agency or federal group to commit to something like that would take weeks if not months.
“He said the way the entrance is set up, it shouldn’t be a very big project at all. The Alliance can cover the cost, so we’ll be able to move quickly on this one.” Dad cleared his throat. “I’m proud of you, Theo. I wasn’t sure you had it in you, especially not with the way you botched that study last month, but you’ve really turned things around for yourself.”
Somehow the compliment didn’t bring the wave of warm fuzzies I’d been expecting. All I could see was the look on Scarlett’s face when I told her she wouldn’t be able to get to her dad’s treasure. All I could hear was the sound of her closing the front door on my face when I showed up empty handed.
“Uh, thanks. It’s a big find. A huge win for the Alliance.” There had to be some way to hold off the installation of the bat gate.
“That’s right. I got some great pictures while we were down there this weekend. I expect we’ll get an article in the newsletter and possibly even a full-color spread in an industry magazine or two.”
“That’s great.” My name in print right next to my dad’s. Why didn’t that send a thrill through my core?
“Might be time for you to take on a bigger role. You’ve proven yourself to the team. Would you be interested in talking about ways you could expand your contributions to the group?”
“Sure. I’d appreciate that.” Numb. That’s what I felt. I’d have time to sort through my unexpected reaction later. “So about that bat gate. When do you think they’ll install it? I kind of promised the landowner we wouldn’t be blocking off her access to the tunnels. She needs to get something out of there before we seal it off.”
“That’s impossible. No one should go in, especially someone unfamiliar with the bats. She could disturb the colony and we could lose thousands. You shouldn’t have made such a ridiculous promise.” He clucked his tongue, his favorite way of showing displeasure.
“I’m sure she’ll have no problem with the bat gate once she’s had a chance to retrieve her personal property. I just need you to hold off on installing the gate for a few more days. I’m planning on going down there this weekend and will go with her. The bats won’t be disturbed, everything will be fine.”
He didn’t respond. A heavy, vast silence filled the line.
“Dad? Did I lose you?”
“I’m here. I’m afraid if you wait until this weekend it will be too late.”
“What do you mean?”
“They’re going in tomorrow to take a look. If all goes well, they’ll be able to install the gate. I’m sorry, son. Whatever your friend has down in that cave, she’s had years to remove. The bats won’t make it without us fighting for them. It’s for the best.”
“But she didn’t sign the paperwork. Don’t you need permission?” My pulse ratcheted up. Scarlett would have told me if someone had returned to ask for permission.
“She seemed like she was going to stonewall us, so we got to her brother instead. He didn’t have a problem giving us permission so we’re set.”
For the first time in my life I realized that my dad would put his beloved bats before anything and everything. They’d always come first. He valued them over his own relationships, including the ones with his immediate family. That’s what made him such a good researcher. It’s also what made him a piss poor dad. It wasn’t his fault. He’d always been like that. But for some reason, I’d never understood. Now it was as clear as the bright blue sky overhead. Dad would do anything to protect those bats. Anything.
I had to get to Scarlett. Hearing that she wouldn’t have a chance to search for her dad’s treasure would wreck her. Yes, she’d had years to try to find it. But according to her, she’d tried and never been able to find the right cave. Maybe the bat cave wasn’t the right one. But if it was, and her relationship with me ended up being the reason she lost the opportunity to fulfill her dad’s dreams…well, that wouldn’t bode well for the kind of future I hoped to have with her.
I pulled up my calendar on my phone. I was supposed to visit four more schools and two community groups over the next two days. If I made some adjustments, I might be able to shift things around and make it back to Swallow Springs a day early. That wasn’t good enough. If they were putting in the bat gate tomorrow, I needed to beat them to it.
With a heaviness closing in on my heart, I turned my truck to the west and stepped on the gas.
40
Scarlett
The sky darkened as I navigated the truck over the dips and bumps on the narrow road leading toward the cave. We were in for some storms this afternoon. That shouldn’t be a problem for me since I’d be deep within the tunnels of Theo’s cave by the time the downpour started. I pulled over to the side of the road to hike the rest of the way to the entrance. Gathering the supplies I’d packed, I locked the truck and tucked the key on top of the back tire. Wouldn’t do me any good to lose my keys inside the cave.
Rodney hadn’t come home last night but my mom had sent a text letting me know he’d shown up at her place. He told her we had a fight and asked if he could stay over to cool off. At least he’d gone there instead of straight to Judd’s. The thought of him moving in, sharing breakfast with April, Judd, and their two boys…it broke my heart. I couldn’t let it come to that.
That’s why I had to go into the cave. I couldn’t wait for Theo, not that I wanted his help anymore anyway. He’d been calling for the past two days, but I wasn’t ready to talk to him. The betrayal hurt more than I thought it would. He was the first man I’d put my trust in and he’d shown me I was better off on my own. Again. Seemed like I had a way of picking the absolute worst men I possibly could. It was time to break my streak.
By the time I reached the entrance to the cave, a light drizzle had started to fall. Grateful I’d t
hought to grab my raincoat on the way out the door, I pulled it tight around me. I pounded a stake into the ground and tied the end of the nylon rope I’d scavenged from the garage. At least I’d learned a few tips from Theo. Those would come in handy now that I had no one to rely on but myself.
I stood in the mouth of the cave and took one last look at the hillside in front of me. If all went well, the next time I saw this view I’d be a heck of a lot richer. Taking in a full breath of the surface air, I turned around, flipped on the headlamp, and began my descent into the cave, one last time.
The air smelled musty like it had been undisturbed in years, maybe even decades. I’d followed the map, adding my own marks as I ventured into the tunnels and offshoots I hadn’t seen before. After a couple of hours crawling around, I still hadn’t seen anything resembling any kind of treasure. Stopping for a drink of water, I checked my phone. I was far enough into the cave that I didn’t have a signal. But I wasn’t worried. I’d been doling out the rope behind me as I went. That would make it easy to retrace my steps if I needed to.
I’d been back and forth, crisscrossing to the main tunnel as I tracked through the multiple offshoots. The tunnel before me narrowed, ending at a wall of rock. Another dead end. I crossed this tunnel off on my map and gathered the rope as I moved back to the main artery. Being methodical, exploring each tunnel in turn meant I would have to eventually stumble across the one marked on the map. It was only a matter of time.
I turned right to check out the next opening. The walls narrowed and it seemed like I was walking down at a slight decline. The sound of running water came from up ahead. The stream behind the cave must have an outlet underground. As I entered a larger space, I turned around in a circle, using the headlamp to illuminate the area. The rock ceiling stretched high above me. This must be the tunnel from the map. None of the other tunnels had emptied into a larger room. I moved to the edge and found a flat rock. The map clearly indicated a higher ceiling. This had to be it. A flutter of excitement batted against the walls of my chest.
