He came into the front room, rubbing his hands together. “I swear I think it dropped another ten degrees out there.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” he said with a shiver and moved to stand over one of the heat vents. “By the way, have you ordered the spring feed yet?”
“No, why do you ask?”
He stomped his feet again and rubbed his hands together, “Just thought it might be a good idea. I was just in the barn and there wasn’t much stock left out there.”
I flipped open the account ledger and grabbed the small stack of receipts from last week, “It’s way too early to be thinking about spring orders.”
“Not really,” Alec said as the furnace kicked on and a gust of warm air blew up to him. “Next week is New Years and we’ll need to have the order in shortly thereafter.”
I looked at the calendar and sure enough he was right. I was so busy feeling sorry for myself, I let my business responsibilities slide. Wasn’t store the whole reason I didn’t go with Kieran and the travelers to start with? I didn’t want to abandon everything my grandmother worked so hard for.
It hit me then... Spring... It wasn’t that far away... That meant... Kieran...
I shook my head to clear it, “Why don’t you do it?”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” I said as if it just didn’t matter. “Just order whatever you think we need.”
Alec stepped over and put his hands on my shoulders.
“Are you okay?” He asked, trying his best to look me in the eye.
There was something too familiar about his touch, like it was crossing line of what our friendship was supposed to be, but still I didn't pull away or step back.
“I’m fine,” I said without meeting his eyes or looking up at all.
“Then why won’t you look at me?”
Because that just confuses everything...
Before I could think of what to say or what to do, the bell over the door chimed and Alec’s grandfather came and. He looked at me there in his grandson’s arms and frowned.
Was this not the same man that welcomed me into his home on Thanksgiving? Why did he look so angry now?
Sensing the old man’s disapproval, Alec stepped away from me.
“Hey grandpa, what’s up?” He asked as an embarrassed blush colored his cheeks.
Alec’s grandpa glanced at me, frowned again, and then turned his full attention to Alec.
“I need you come straight home after work,” he said.
“Sure,” Alec answered with a shrug. “What’s going on?”
“I just need you to come straight home,” the old man said in a dead voice.
“Um, okay.” Alec agreed.
For a moment it looked like the old man was about to say something more, but then he turned and left just as abruptly as he had arrived.
I just sort of stood there, confused and not sure what it just happened.
“What was that about?” I was finally able to ask.
“I don’t know,” Alec said with a shrug. “He’s just been in a mood lately.”
“Anything I can do?”
Alec seemed to consider my offer, even moving to the window to watch his grandpa disappear around the side of the building. At last he just sighed and shook his head.
“No,” he said. “But if it’s all right, I’m going go ahead and take off. Maybe I can find out what all of this about.”
“Sure, go ahead,” I said, ignoring the overwhelming sense of foreboding that was bearing down on me.
“Great,” he said with a smile. He walked past me to where his coat was hanging on the hook, “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Putting on his coat he took off after his grandpa and all I could do was stand at the window and watch them walk away.
Chapter 9
I spent the rest of the day working alone in the store. There were only few customers now and then so I didn’t really need the extra help, but I missed Alec’s company to help pass along hours between open and close.
Once I locked up from the night, I went home to my always empty house. It got me to thinking that maybe true maturity was realizing that no matter what, in the end, we were always going to be alone.
Well that’s depressing...
I flipped through the television channels while eating my barely palatable frozen dinner. How was it that the meatloaf was burned, the corn rubbery, and the mashed potatoes still frozen in a potato popsicle all at the same time?
I tried to find something interesting on television, but nothing really caught my eye. When did everything on television get to be so stupid?
This is how it starts...Alone...Depressed...Next I’ll get a few cats...Then I’ll be the crazy cat lady watching game show reruns until she’s found dead...
Giving up, I threw my dinner into the trash and turned off the television. I locked the doors, switched off the lights, and was halfway upstairs when there was a knock at the front door.
I hesitated. Who in the world could that be? Everyone in town was either already in bed or at the very least settled in for the night. Was it the Mileans? Why were they knocking? Why not just bust down the door and kill me without warning?
I shrank back against the wall and wished I had a gun or weapon of some kind. If I was quick, maybe I could make it to the steak knives in the kitchen.
“Harmony,” Alec’s voice called from the other side of the door. “It’s just me. Open up.”
Alec? What was he doing here?
I rushed down the stairs and opened the door. Alex stood on the doorstep looking pale and wide-eyed.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, motioning him inside. “Why are you out so late?”
He stepped through the door, refusing to meet my eyes. “I just wanted to apologize for cutting out on you today.”
“It’s fine,” I said watching him closely. “Was everything okay at home?”
He nodded, looking down at his feet with his hands shoved into the pockets of his coat. It seemed that despite wearing that heavy coat inside the warm house, he was shivering as if he was cold.
I took a cautious step towards him, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he said without looking up. “Everything is fine.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. I’d never seen him like this before; he seemed angry and afraid all at the same time.
At last he looked up, his eyes focused again on the pendant and chain around my neck. Just as quick, he looked away again.
“Yeah,” he said flatly. “I’m sure.”
“Alec?” I reached out to touch his trembling arm.
Alec spun around and pulled me into his arms, crushing the up against his chest. I was too surprised to push him away until my ear was against the steady beat of his heart.
He lowered his face down into my hair, “Tell me Harmony, what do you do when the world just doesn’t make sense anymore? I just don’t know what to do. There are just things that I don’t understand and I don’t know if I even want to understand.”
I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t know if it was because of how tightly he was holding me or the strange mix of emotions that being this close to him caused.
I squirmed against him, “Alec?”
He let me go and backed away, looking even more shaken than before. What was going on with him?
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t come here to unload on you.”
“Alec, wait –“
“No, it’s all right,” he said as he clawed the doorknob behind him. “I just wanted to apologize for today.”
He was out the door and staggering off into the darkness before I could stop him.
“Alec!” I called after him, but he was already gone.
I closed the front door and locked it again. I leaned back against it and pressed my hands against my chest. I could feel my heart beating against my ribs as if it was trying to escape.
What was that all about?
I climbed the stairs again slowly, suddenly exhausted. I felt as if I had to force my feet to take each and every step.
Well whatever it is... I’m too tired to think about it tonight...
I crawled into bed and was asleep before I had a chance to think any more about Alec and his strange behavior.
I fell into dreams almost immediately that night. I knew that I was dreaming and I knew that I should wake up before something terrible happened, but I couldn’t.
In my dream, I was with Kieran and he was guiding me through a very green forest. I could feel the warmth of his hand in mine and the dampness of the leaves clinging to my skin.
Suddenly we were running, as fast as we could, from some unseen force that was closing in on us with every step. I was tired and my side ached terribly, but Kieran pulled me along and forced me to keep up.
“We have to hurry,” he said in that weird dream speak were his lips didn’t move.
I tried to tell him that I was running as fast as I could and that he should just go on without me, but my words had no sound.
I tried again, but once more no sound came. I wanted to tell him to leave me and save himself but I had no voice? I clutched frantically at his arm, but he just kept pulling me through the forest with him.
Suddenly, I was blinded by the bright light as we burst out of the cover of the trees. I pulled my hand free from Kieran’s to help shield my eyes. Where were we? What was this?
Once my eyes adjusted, I saw that we were standing on the edge of the cliff overlooking the ocean. Far below us, the grey waves crashed against the sharp black rocks.
We were trapped. There was nowhere left to run, and nowhere left to hide. This was it.
I turned to Kieran, expecting him to know exactly what we should do... But he was gone. There was only empty air beside me where he had stood.
“Kieran!” I screamed, my voice returning then so that I could call to him again and again.
The wind whipped at my hair and carried the sound of my voice down below to the rocks where the waves swallowed it whole.
I turned in slow circles, looking for an escape route. What was I supposed to do? Where should I go?
As I stood there, in a weird sort of quick sand panic, Alec stepped from the edge of the trees. Instead of being relieved that I was no longer alone, I was angry, as if he had anything at all to do with Kieran disappearing.
“Where is he?” I demanded as though he had chased Kieran away. “What did you do?”
Alec stepped up to me slowly, his expression never changed even as I ranted against him. It had to be his fault, something he had done; Kieran would never leave me alone like this.
Without a word, Alec reached out and pulled on the chain around my neck. It broke away easily fell down onto the dew covered grass.
“Alec –“
There was no time for me to say anything else. Alec’s hands were on my shoulders and I was falling backwards. I screamed as he got smaller and smaller on the edge of the cliff until my body crashed down onto the black jagged rocks and then I was silent.
Chapter 10
I tried not to think about the dream the next day. It was just too crazy to try to interpret so the less time wasted on the better.
Of course, I was also trying not to think about Alec’s strange visit. It was just too much weird in a twenty-four hour period of time.
I went into the feed store the following morning determined that it would be an ordinary day, even if I had to make it that way myself. Maybe if I just pretended everything was back to normal, it really would go back that way.
Alec came slinking in just before nine. He came in through the back door looking all red-faced and embarrassed as he hung up his coat.
“Harmony, about last night –“
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I snapped.
He came out to the front room, his eyes still cast down and his cheek still flaming.
“I just wanted to say –“
I slammed my hands down onto the counter, “Didn’t you hear me? I just got done saying that I don’t want to talk about it.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” He asked as he came around the counter with the broom.
I shook my head as he started sweeping, turning my back to him as much is possible.
“Nothing is wrong with me,” I said. “Can we just drop it?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Excuse me?”
“I don’t want a drop it,” Alec said. “It’s obvious something is wrong.”
“Just let it go,” I argued. “Nothing is wrong.”
“Then why are you acting like a mad at me?” Alec demanded, pushing the broom with such force that cloud of dust rose up. “Did I do something?”
Suddenly I felt ridiculous, it wasn’t like he really did push me off a cliff or anything. I could feel my own face turning red, “Not really.”
Alec came over to the counter so that we were standing right across from each other. He looked concerned, but he still swallowed nervously a few times.
“So what is it then?” He asked, holding the broom so tight his knuckles turned white.
I chewed at the edge my thumb as I looked up at him, feeling even more ridiculous by the minute.
“I had a dream about you last night,” I confessed.
Alec relaxed and a slight smile spread over his face, “Really?”
I blushed an even deeper shade of scarlet as I realized what he must be thinking. “It wasn’t that kind dream.”
“If you say so,” Alex said with a wink.
“Just forget about it,” I said with a wave of my hand. I stood and tried walked toward the back to suffer my complete humiliation in private.
Alec grabbed my arm to keep me from leaving and pulled me back onto my stool.
“No, seriously,” he said. “What was your dream about?”
I didn’t want to tell him and sound crazy, but if I didn’t tell him I’d look crazy. So, I took a deep breath and told him all about the disturbing dream. I tried to control my tone and expression when the pain seized my chest at the mention of Kieran’s name, and I watched Alec’s face closely when I got to the part about him pushing me off.
Once I finished recanting the events in my nightmare, I waited, feeling even more ridiculous than before. What was I doing? Small town rule number one is to always keep your crazy tucked away so that no one ever sees and here I was telling him about it.
Alec just stood there, not saying anything, for what seemed like a very long time. At last he sighed and shook his head.
“So let me get this straight,” he said. “You’re mad at me for something I did in your dream?”
Even though he was looking down, I could see the corner of his mouth twitching with the start of a smile. I breathed a sigh of relief and laughed nervously, “I guess so.”
“And here I was all embarrassed about showing up at your house in the middle of the night talking nonsense,” he said raising one eyebrow.
I wasn’t sure if he was poking fun at me or himself, but I just let it go. “Should we consider us even then?”
“I think so,” he said with his easy laugh and went back to sweeping the floor like nothing happened. “But I still think you’ve had a few of those dreams about me.”
* * * *
The feed store in late winter doesn’t get many customers. Those that did come in got what they needed and left. It was too cold for the usual crowd that came in just to stand around and gossip. That was something most people seem to reserve for warmer weather.
Within just a few hours of opening, all the routine tasks were completed. Alec and I sat on top of the counter watching it snow.
“This is boring,” he said as he tossed dried kernels corn into the garbage one by one.
“Yeah,” I yawned. “What do you say we go ahead and close up for the day?”
“You’re the boss,” he said, but quickly slid down an
d flipped the sign to CLOSED.
I pretended not to notice how anxious he seemed to be done with the day. Could I blame him?
Getting my coat, I couldn’t help but to smile a little. My grandmother never, not in all the decades that she ran the store, closed the store early. Even in the blizzards of the nineties, she stayed open until five and then walked through two and a half feet of snow to get home.
Well... Maybe it’s time some things changed...
I went back out to the front room and took a sheet of paper from behind the counter and started writing on it in thick black marker.
Closed till –
“You know,” Alec said before I could finish writing. “Might as well stay closed tomorrow too, you’ve been working seven days a week and deserve a break.”
I didn’t want to break. What would I do? Sit at home and stare at the walls? At least here I could pretend to be productive.
Alec saw my hesitation, “Come on, we could even do something fun.”
“Fun?”
“Sure,” he said with a wide smile. “You do remember fun, don't you?”
Was I that bad? I looked at him skeptically, “What did you have in mind?”
“Why don’t we go see a movie tomorrow?”
I opened my mouth, prepared to give the “I like you, but just not in that way” speech when Alec started laughing.
“Don’t look so terrified,” he said. “It’s not a date. It’s just two friends going to a movie... In broad daylight.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to say no, but then I thought, why not? We were just friends and it was just a movie.
“Sure,” I said and then quickly finished the sign to read that we would open Monday.
Alec’s grin spread from ear to ear, “Great! I’ll pick you up –“
“No,” I said with a wave of my hand. “This isn’t a date and there will be no picking up. Will meet here and take the truck.”
Alec took the sign and taped it to the door. He was still smiling as he held the door open so that I could step outside. He stood there as I walked the door, blocking the wind as I worked the ancient lock.
Far Away (Gypsy Fairy Tale Book Two) Page 4
