Safe Landing

by Tess Oliver

  “A Hank skank? Please talk in something that resembles the English language.”

  “I am. Seth, the cute guy with the harmonica, dreamy singing voice, and dangerous smile despises Hank Warner. Hank Warner is the thick-necked, Neanderthal who I had to flirt with to get invited to the Warner house so I could go skulking through a closet to search for the--” I stopped myself. No need to open old wounds. Besides, Sebastian seemed in a decidedly better mood this afternoon.

  “I see. So now Seth thinks you have aligned yourself with the enemy.”

  “Precisely.” I finished off my glass of milk.

  “I am very sorry if I ruined your only chance at true love.” His voice was low and serious.

  “I never said that. Boy, you are dramatic. Love isn’t quite as intense as it was back in your day. We break up with someone and then move on.”

  “Yes, modern generations have done to love what they’ve done to the English language—made it meaningless and crass.”

  “I have to agree with you there. I really am bummed about the whole Seth thing.”

  Sebastian floated off the table and peered around my back at my butt. “Yes, you are definitely bummed.”

  Chapter 18

  Seth’s car was already parked along the dirt road that led to the ranch. The muck cart sat in front of the draft horse’s corral as I headed to the tack room.

  “Move your big butt, horse.” Seth’s voice drifted out from the stall. I glanced in and saw only the bottom half of his legs beneath the massive Belgian. “Move.”

  “Do you need some help?” I asked climbing through the bars of the paddock. Seth’s head peered up over the wide back.

  “He sort of has me trapped back here.” There was a hint of embarrassment and humor in Seth’s tone.

  I ducked under the horse’s neck and squeezed between the horse and the wood plank wall. Seth stood right next to me and smiled. I wanted to fall over. It was a great smile even in the smelly moist air of the stall. “Now you’re trapped too. I guess I could have crawled under his neck like that.”

  I squeezed past Seth and our bodies brushed together for a second. “No wonder they always make those romance books westerns,” he said suggestively as I slid by.

  I raised my eyebrow at him. “Watch and learn. First, don’t ever climb under a horse’s neck unless you know the horse is easy going. Draft horses are usually mellow, and this guy didn’t even look up when I walked in, so I figured he was safe. Second, when a horse is this big, try not to get stuck between it and the wall.”

  “’Uh, yeah, I learned that one just a few minutes ago.”

  “And third, when you want a horse to move, asking them to move usually does not work.” I put my hands on the horse’s hip and pushed with all my weight. The gelding went off balance and sidestepped his back legs away from us. His massive butt moved with the legs and we were free.

  We walked out of the stall. Seth picked up the barrel handles to move it out of the paddock. “Well, that was humiliating.”

  “Not as humiliating as that kiss.” There was that charming little blurt out any stupid thing habit.

  He lowered the wheelbarrow and looked up at me. “Yeah, I can see now what you mean about bad timing. It’s just… it’s just I’d had it with Gina, and I was so pissed at Hank I wanted to plow my fist through his fat face.”

  “O.K., if that explanation is supposed to make me feel better, it doesn’t.”

  “Never mind. It’s too hard to explain. You’re right. I’m just an asshole like the rest.” He opened the paddock gate and pushed his cart out.

  I left without saying anything else.

  Dusty was trotting nicely around the arena when I noticed Seth in the shade of some nearby trees watching me ride. My stomach immediately felt jittery, and I wondered how well this was going to work being at the same place as Seth. I had to convince myself to stop liking him, but I wasn’t sure how to make that happen. It was like convincing yourself not to eat raw cookie dough because it had raw eggs. Delicious things were hard to resist, even if they were bad for you. Just seeing him again was making my gut do somersaults. Maybe I could ask Sebastian’s advice. That idea sounded stupid the second it formed in my head. Advice about love from a hopeless romantic, right.

  I finished my afternoon at the barn feeling sore from the riding and uptight about seeing Seth. We managed to avoid each other most of the afternoon, which I was thankful for.

  ****

  Sebastian was drifting around my room looking like a spirit who needed an anti-depressant. “You’re late,” he said harshly.

  I sat on my bed to unlace my riding boots then glanced up at him. It always amazed me how much emotion he could show though he was merely vapor. His mouth was tight and his eyes looked incredibly sad.

  “I have a job now at the local barn.”

  “So you’ll be late a lot?” A hint of desperation laced his words.

  “It’s just a few hours after school. That boy I like, the one I blew it with when I had to cozy up to his enemy, he works there too. I didn’t know it until after I’d accepted.”

  “Interesting.” Was that jealousy I was hearing?

  “It’s not all that interesting really. It’s a big place, so we don’t have to see too much of each other.”

  “Right.”

  I pushed my boots under the bed. “Are you going to amaze me with one word answers all evening because I’m tired and I want to change into sweats.”

  He swept his hand in front of him and bowed formally before disappearing.

  I dug a pair of sweatpants out of my drawer. “Moody, moody, moody.”

  One of my textbooks flew across the room and smacked the opposite wall before dropping to the ground. I shook my head. “And overly sensitive,” I yelled into the air and then prepared to duck if necessary. But nothing else moved in the room, and Sebastian did not reappear for the rest of the night.

  Chapter 19

  My school days now consisted of angry scowls and grunts from Hank, complete avoidance from Seth, and a constant flow of gossip from Julie. She was a better talker than listener, which was probably why she didn’t have a crew of friends around her. I watched the clock all day waiting for school to end so I could get to the barn.

  I was getting used to walking to the barn. Most of the road was shaded by huge trees and since the stables sat on the side of the cove where there were few houses or businesses, there was almost no car traffic. Now that I wasn’t getting a car, I toyed with the idea of getting a bike. I was still contemplating what kind of bike to get when a car drove up behind me and slowed. I turned around with a smile sure that it had to be Seth. It was Hank and two of his fat-headed friends.

  Hank drove up along side of me. I stared straight ahead and kept walking thinking this was definitely not the best situation while, at the same time, convincing myself that he was just a fool who was basically harmless. At least that’s what I hoped. The stables were still a mile away so I picked up my pace.

  “Where’re you headed, sweetheart?” What normally would have been a term of endearment sounded like nails on a chalkboard coming from his mouth.

  “I’m going to work.”

  “I heard you were working for that old geezer, Moses. My bros and I have decided to come watch you bounce up and down on the horses.”

  “Go home, Hank. You’re not coming to the stables.”

  The car sped up and turned toward the side of the road, stopping directly in my walking path. Hank threw the car in park and jumped out. His buddies followed.

  My heart sped up. I glanced around for some other sign of life. The road was deserted. I made a wide berth around the car and broke into a run. Footsteps pounded the dirt road behind me. A big hand grabbed my arm and spun me around. I was face to face with Hank.

  “What kind of game are you playing, bitch?”

  I looked straight up into his face. “No game. I hate your guts. Simple enough for you?”

  His grip tightened on my a
rm. I glanced down at his hand and sneered back up at him.

  “Let go of my arm, or I’ll make sure you get expelled from school.” I used my free hand to fish the phone from my pocket, but his buddy grabbed it from me.

  Hank pulled me against his chest. “Just try and get me expelled. My dad is on the board.”

  “Is that the same dad who buys kegs of beer for his teenage son and friends?”

  “Yep.”

  “Then I guess we know where you inherited your tiny, worthless brain.” His grip tightened again and I winced. In the distance, car tires ground over the rough road. They got closer.

  Hank looked over my head. “No fucking way, is that Dracula?” He pushed me away from his chest. “What the hell is he doing here? You two together now?”

  “Seth works at the barn too.” I couldn’t see Seth’s car, but I heard it slow.

  With Hanks’ attention momentarily diverted by the arrival of his mortal enemy, I seized the opportunity and kneed the creep in the groin. He slammed me to the ground and doubled over with pain. By the time he’d caught his breath, I’d scooted out of his reach and Seth had stepped out of his car.

  Seth walked up and put out a hand for me. I took it and he wrenched me to my feet. “You O.K?”

  I nodded.

  Hank’s friends grabbed hold of Seth’s arms. With alarming speed for a guy who had just taken a hit to the family jewels, Hank’s fist flew into Seth’s face. Blood spurted from his lips. I jumped on Hank and scratched whatever I could get my fingernails into. I think it was his chin but I didn’t care. I just wanted to do damage. He threw me off like I was a gnat. He drew back his fist ready to slam Seth again. I threw myself between them. His knuckles caught me in the ribs. This time I doubled over in a pain that made it hard to breathe.

  Through my fog of agony, I heard one of Hank’s friends speak. “Dude, someone’s coming. I think it’s the old man on one of his horses. Feet ran past me and car doors slammed. Hank’s car skidded in a circle and raced down the road.

  I straightened slowly. “Ouch, ouch, ouch.”

  Seth was blotting the blood from his lip with the hem of his shirt. “Crazy girl, why’d you jump in there like that?”

  “I was afraid he was going to smash your face again. That would be a waste of a really great face.”

  He smiled and grimaced at the pain in his mouth. “Shit that hurts.” He walked up and put an arm around my shoulder just as Moses reached us.

  Moses peered down the road at the car. “Was that the Warner kid?”

  “The one and only,” I said. “I told him I’d get him expelled, but apparently, his father’s on the board so my threat was kind of weak.”

  Moses squinted as Hank’s car disappeared from view. “Well, my brother is the president of that board, and he’s no friend of Warner’s. I think I’ll give him a call later.” He stared down at us from Legend’s back. “You two had better get back in that car and come down to the house so Trudy can fix you up with some ice.”

  I climbed into Seth’s car like a hundred year old lady. He craned his neck to see his lip in the mirror. “Great, I look like I had my lips injected.”

  I laughed then realized it made huge bolts of pain shoot through me. I grabbed my stomach. “Ouch, don’t make me laugh.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Both of you have a seat on the couch,” Moses said. “Trudy’s in the kitchen. We’ll fix you up a couple of ice packs.”

  I sat on one side of the sofa and Seth sat at the opposite end. We both looked around the room in silence as if the décor interested us and talking to each other didn’t.

  Seth finally broke the silence. “So are you involved with that jerk or what?” His lip was swollen and there was blood smeared across his chin, but everything about him was still incredibly appealing.

  I stared at him. If my ribs hadn’t hurt so badly, I would have lifted the pillow next to me and thrown it at his face. “Seriously? You can actually sit there with your gigantic lip and ask me that?” I sat back slowly, wincing the whole time. “I mean isn’t it obvious? Hank and I are madly in love.”

  “What the hell am I supposed to think?” He pressed his hand to his lip for a second. “Crap that hurts.” He lowered his hand. “You were totally coming on to him at the party.”

  I scrolled back to the beach party in my mind. I hardly had to try to get Hank to invite me to his house. The guy was a blob of desperation. “We were playing a volleyball game. You act like I was climbing all over him.”

  Moses walked out with bags of ice. Trudy followed with a look of worry that resembled an expression of my mom’s.

  “So what does the Warner boy have against you two?”

  I took the bag of ice and slid it under my shirt, pressing it gently against my skin. “Geez, that’s cold.” I peered up at Moses and Trudy. “It’s not that bad, really. I’ll be able to ride in a few minutes.”

  Trudy scooted in front of Moses and sat down on the coffee table across from me. “Nonsense. The horses will be fine with a day off. Now, why did that wretched boy attack you?”

  It was happening again. The true explanation of my involvement with Hank was a little too bizarre to tell people. I had to come up with a baloney explanation quick. “I called the guy a lump of sh-- a lump of crap at school the other day.” That part was at least true, although it was definitely not the reason Hank was so pissed at me. In fact this whole fiasco was Sebastian’s fault, he and his Emily obsession.

  “Hank has hated me since grade school,” Seth piped up. He handed Trudy the ice pack. “Thanks, I think I’ll get to work now.”

  “Are you still up to it?” Moses asked.

  “Yeah, it’s just a swollen lip.” He stood and walked out.

  Moses watched him leave. “He looks a bit shaky. I think I’ll go out and help him.”

  “Do you think there’s any bruising?” Trudy asked. “You might have broken some ribs. Maybe we should report this whole incident to the police.”

  I shook my head. “This was my fault. I jumped in front of Hank’s fist. He meant to hit Seth. They had a fight not that long ago in school. I guess there’s still a lot of bad blood between them.”

  Trudy smiled. “You like Seth, don’t you?”

  I looked at her wide eyed then smiled back. “He’s pretty darn cute.”

  “I’ll say.”

  “And I guess you could say he sort of came to my rescue out there.”

  Trudy winked. “A girl likes to be rescued every once in a while, even us tough cowgirls. Although it sounds like you might have returned the favor out there.” She looked pointedly at the ice pack on my ribs.

  “Yeah, I guess I did.” That’s when I realized that when I saw Seth getting hurt, I wanted to do anything I could to protect him. I had it bad for the guy. My feelings for him went way beyond anything I’d ever felt for Blake or any guy for that matter. Shit, it must be love. The whole thing made me think of Sebastian.

  “Do you have a picture of your Grandma Emily when she was young?” I asked out of the blue.

  “I might. I have a chest filled with some of her old things. It’s down in the basement.” She shot me a puzzled look. “Those letters must have really gotten your curiosity flowing. You’re sitting on the couch with a bag of ice on your ribs, and you’re thinking about my grandmother.”

  “His letters were pretty intense. It makes me curious what kind of girl she was. I mean he was so crazy about her, she must have been very special.”

  “I believe she was. And beautiful too. She had many suitors, but I do think the Middleton boy was her particular favorite. At least that’s what I’ve heard.” She stood. “If you’re up to it, we could go down to the basement and look in the chest for a picture.”

  I jumped off the couch, completely forgetting my ribs. “Ouch. Too fast.”

  Trudy frowned. “That horrid boy. Moses will call his brother tonight to see if something can be done about the bully.” She put out her hand for me to take. “Le
t’s take a little trip into history.”

  We climbed downstairs to a basement that was your typical musty smelling, dingy, cramped space where the water heater and electrical box took up one wall and unused old stuff was piled against the other.

  An old chest, complete with a brass nameplate and hand carved flowers, stood at the front of the pile. “It’s actually a beautiful old chest. I just don’t have any place to put it in my room.” The light in the basement flickered weakly. “It’s been a while since I’ve been down here. That old light bulb is so covered with dust, it’s a wonder it works at all.”

  I helped Trudy lift the lid. Knitted shawls, linen handkerchiefs, and a set of hair brushes with a handheld mirror were neatly stored inside. Tucked in along one side was a parasol.

  “The parasol-- I wonder if it’s the one Sebastian pulled from the dog’s mouth?” My question came without thinking, like my words so often do.

  Trudy’s forehead crinkled as she looked up at me. “What parasol is that, dear?”

  “Oh, I mean the parasol looks like something--the letters,” my shoulders relaxed. “Sebastian Middleton described the day they met in one of his letters,” I lied. “He wrenched Emily’s parasol from a dog’s mouth.”

  “Really? How marvelous. I would really love to see those letters.”

  I swallowed. Man lies could really get you into some deep crap. “Sure.”

  “Brazil, keep your hand on the lid so it doesn’t slam shut on me.”

  I grabbed hold of the top and Trudy leaned inside. “Now, there are a few books and I think there are some pictures down here too. Tiny woman that she was, she was nearly swallowed up by the chest as she leaned in further digging beneath the shawls and linens. “Here we are.”

  She came up and brushed back the hairs that had fallen from her bun. She dropped something back into the chest and pulled an envelope from inside an old book. Then she returned the book to the chest as well. She plucked out a picture from the envelope. It was one of those faded, brownish-toned photos of a group of girls.

  Trudy moved under the dim light bulb and I followed. She squinted at the photo. “This was a photo from the school she’d attended.” Her finger pointed to one of the girls in the top row. “And this is my grandmother, Emily. She must have been around fourteen in this photo.”