A Long from the Girl Next Door: The Caldwells of Rebel Creek Book 2

by T M Morris

  Breathing heavily Lilly turned around at the end of the drive. She was going to be okay since she wasn’t yet ready to die even if she hadn’t found her rhythm. Deciding then she would take the path through the woods to the Meadows’s she picked up her pace slightly trying to decide if she wanted Dusty to be there or not. He didn’t live there anymore, so the likelihood was slim. Lilly began to time her breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth. Before she knew it, having been concentrating on her breathing, she was at the house and striding past it.

  Following the trail through the pasture Lilly split her attention between where she was going and the scenery before her. Running here was so much better than going through the crowds in Central Park. The cows looked up from their grazing as she ran toward them and quickly trotted away mooing their displeasure. “Hush, you silly cows. I can’t hear my music over your noise.”

  Turning up the volume on her phone strapped to her arm she sped toward the edge of the woods only to skid to a halt. She had an uneasy feeling of being watched. She looked around but didn’t see anyone. Lilly turned the music off and pulled the earbuds from her ears. Listening intently for something, she turned in a circle. The uneasy feeling didn’t go away. She decided against going over the trail to the Meadows’s. Instead, Lilly opted for running across the pasture to her aunt and uncle’s house. From there she would go back up the road to home. Something just didn’t feel right. She had shivered before she took off running away from the woods.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lilly sat atop the highest rung of the fence surrounding the kitchen dooryard staring out across the hay field drinking her morning coffee enjoying the quiet or the morning. Holding the mug in such a way to warm both her hands she took a sip she smiled as she watched a small herd of deer rooting around near the edge of the woods that started at the foot of the hills. Knowing it wouldn’t be much longer before they disappeared, as if knowing hunting season was about to open. She took another sip and turned toward the road when she heard the crunching of tires on the gravel and the roar of an engine coming down the drive disturbing her solitude.

  She turned back to see the deer bolting for the tree line. Sighing she set her mug on the top of the fence post and climbed down and walked toward Dusty’s now parked truck. As he opened the door and slid out, she said, “What are you doing here? No one called a vet.”

  He slammed the door closed. “Good morning, Sunshine, to you too.”

  “Good morning, did you sleep well? Would you like some coffee,” she held up her empty cup. “Really, why are you here?”

  “I wanted to tell you to watch for coyotes. Dad saw some over at the house.” Dusty pointed toward the ridge which separated the Meadows farm of the Caldwell’s.

  Lilly began walking toward the house. “You know I went running yesterday. I was going to take the trail over the ridge and back, but as I got to the middle of the pasture, I got the most uneasy feeling. Needless to say, I didn’t go that way. Instead, I went across the pasture to Aunt Lorene’s and back along the road. May—”

  “You may have gotten killed.” Dusty sounded as if he were about to go on a tirade.

  She waved away his argument before he could start it. “There’s not much I can do about it now is there? Besides, I didn’t get killed, now did I? Come in the house. It’s too chilly out here without a hot cup of coffee to hold. Have you had breakfast?”

  Dusty was thrown off kilter by her nonchalance. He said, “No, I haven’t, but I can’t stay longer than a cup of coffee. I’m heading into the office now.”

  “It won’t take but a minute.” She opened the door and let him follow her in. “I can fry up some eggs. With toast and some bacon you should be well on your way in a half hour.”

  “Bacon takes longer than that to fry up.” Dusty opened the cabinet that housed the cups, and after selecting the one that had become his favorite over the years, he poured coffee and sugar into it.

  “I would fry it, but you’re in a hurry, so I’ll microwave it. It’s not as good, but it’s bacon all the same.”

  He crinkled up his nose. “I guess that’ll be all right this time.” He leaned against the counter and watched as Lilly set about pulling pans, eggs, bread, and bacon out. “What can I do to help?”

  Separating bacon slices onto a paper towel lined plate, she said, “You can set the table.”

  Before he could pull the dishes from the cabinets, Lilly had the bacon in the microwave and was tossing butter in the hot pan, sliding it around to coat the pan. “I can make the toast.”

  “Thanks.” Her smile warmed his insides. Too bad she was Erik’s sister. If she weren’t his sister, he could see himself helping her cook breakfast for the rest of his life. He stopped cold in his tracks holding the bread over the toaster slots.

  Lilly frowned. “Are you okay? You’re not having a stroke are you?”

  Dusty dropped the bread into the toaster, and he frowned at her. “Why on earth would you ask me if I was having a stroke?”

  Shrugging, she broke an egg and dropped it gently into the pan. “Do you want sunny side up or over easy? I forget?”

  “Um. Over easy will be quicker won’t it?”

  “I don’t know I’ve never timed it. Over easy it is.” She flipped the egg carefully, not wanting to break the yolk.

  The toaster popped up. Dusty buttered them after placing two more slices of bread into toast.

  Lilly slid the egg onto a plate and cracked another into the pan. After a minute she repeated the process. Once the third egg was in the pan, she asked, “How many eggs do you want? I should have asked first.”

  “I can eat two or three it doesn’t matter. Are you going to have any eggs?”

  “I think I might have one, but I like mine scrambled.” She slid the third egg onto the plate. “Here you go.” She dropped to eggs into the pan and began stirring them around quickly.

  The third pair of toasted bread popped out of the toaster and after he buttered it he dropped them on top of the stack on the saucer. “I’ll take these over to the table.”

  Lilly was scraping her eggs onto her plate. Nodding, she smiled. “I’m right behind you. Can you get the bacon?”

  They sat down together and ate their breakfast. Dusty sat back and sighed. “Thank you for insisting I eat. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I took that first bite.”

  She nodded and looked at the clock. “And it was under a half an hour. I told you you’d be out in thirty minutes.” She rose and began to clear the table.

  “Let me help.” He took up the remainder of the dishes and carried them to the sink.

  “I thought you needed to get to the office.” She looked and him with a little frown. She jammed the stopper into the drain and turned on the water while adding dish soap.

  He shrugged. “I was only going to do paperwork. As far as I know, I don’t have to go anywhere until after eleven.”

  “Why did you decide to hang around?” She held up a dishcloth and a dish towel. “Do you want to wash or dry?”

  “I guess I’ll wash,” he took the dishcloth and got to work. “I was going to ask you when is the last time you shot a gun?”

  Cocking her head to one side, she looked at him with curiosity. “Since I left ten years ago, why?”

  “You need a shooting lesson. With coyotes around, you need to carry either a rifle with you or a pistol.”

  Lilly pursed her lips. “Do you really think it’s necessary?”

  “I consider your safety a high priority, Lillian, and I—”

  “Don’t call me Lillian. I’ve told you that forever ago when we were kids. Stop it. Nobody calls me Lillian.” She said sourly.

  “It’s your name, Lillian.” He jumped back to avoid getting smacked with a damp dish towel.

  “Touchy are we?” He pulled the drain plug and rinsed the sink until all the suds were gone.

  Lilly put the pan in the cupboard next to the stove. “What if I called you Dustin all the time?
”

  He shrugged as he dried his hands. “It’s my name. I don’t care one way or another. Except it usually means I’m in trouble.”

  “Call me Lillian again, and you will be in trouble.” She took the towel from him and dried her hands.

  “Lillian.” He laughed when she missed him with the towel for the second time. They raced around the kitchen table and out into the yard as Lilly tried her best to strike him with the towel. Dusty wheeled around and grabbed her into a bear hug. He laughed when she began to struggle as he said softly into her ear, “Lillian, Lillian, Lillian.”

  As she struggled, she began to feel his hold loosen around her, so she stopped thrashing around in his arms and slipped to her feet. Looking up into his eyes, she saw a clouded expression there that she couldn’t quite make out. “Are you okay, Dust—”

  His mouth came down on her with such hunger it surprised her. She felt the same hunger flash through her like a forest fire driven by the Santa Anna winds. She responded in such a way that amazed her. They parted and looked at each other as if they simultaneously were struck by lightning. Lilly reluctantly stepped out of his embrace. “Um. I don’t know what to say about that. But I liked it.”

  Dusty stood as still as a post for several seconds causing Lilly to wonder if he was indeed having a stroke. “Dusty?”

  He shook his head and ran his hands through his hair. “I’m sorry, Lilly. I shouldn’t have done that. Do you still want shooting lessons?”

  Lilly was bewildered. Dusty’s response to their kiss was dumbfounding. “I guess. Is something wrong with you kissing me? Didn’t you like it?”

  He cleared his throat as he checked his watch. “Can we get to the shooting? I’ll need to leave in a few minutes.”

  Frowning Lilly turned back to the house and began walking toward the door. “I guess. I need to find the rifle. I’m not sure Dad even has a pistol.”

  “Do you have a bunch of empty cans or bottles?” He followed her at a more leisurely pace than he wanted to. He wanted to take her into his arms once again and kiss her senseless just as that one kiss had completely discombobulated him.

  “They’re in those bins over there.” Lilly pointed toward the carport as she opened the door.

  Dusty was setting up several cans at varying distance for Lilly to shoot at when she came to the fence with both a rifle and pistol. She handed them to him. “I found these and—” she pulled to small boxes of ammunition from the back pockets of her jeans. “I think these are the right ones.”

  After looking at the boxes, Dusty said they were and began loading the weapons. When he finished, he stood for several seconds before handing Lilly the rifle. He said, “Okay. Show me what you remember.”

  Lilly gingerly accepted the gun from him and turned to the array of cans in the field. As she put the rifle to her shoulder, she hoped she didn’t make a fool of herself. She used to be a good shot. Right now she’d be happy if she hit just one can. She carefully took aim and squeezed the trigger. She missed by a mile.

  “You closed your eyes. Keep your eyes open. Gently squeeze the trigger with the tip of your finger that way you won’t pull the gun away from the target. Try again.”

  Nodding she turned back to the targets and repeated the process. This time she managed to get close to the target. The dirt several inches from the can threw up a few small clods. “Good. Try again.”

  This time Lilly hit the can and when he told her to shoot it again she did. She hit the can several more times as it skipped across the field. When it ran out of ammunition, she lowered the weapon and looked over her shoulder. “Well? Do you think I’ll survive?”

  “Maybe. Let’s try the pistol.” He loaded it and handed it to her. “This is only a five shot revolver so if you’re out with only it, you better not miss.”

  Lilly took the gun from him and raised the gun to take aim. “Wait,” Dusty said as he walked up behind her. “You’re standing with the wrong foot out in front. Okay. Good. Now this is how you hold it.” He showed her how to hold it with her thumbs away from the back of the cylinder.”

  She took aim and pulled the trigger. The can flew up in the air and bounced once when it hit the ground. Jumping up and down, she turned to smile at Dusty. “Point that thing down. I don’t want to get shot,” he said as he pushed the barrel toward the ground. “Didn’t your Dad ever tell you not to point a gun at something unless you intend to kill it?”

  “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Should I try again?”

  Taking a deep breath, Dusty said, “Sure. Empty the barrel, and then we can call it a day. I think you’ll do just fine. But remember to keep one of these with you, if not both, all right?”

  Nodding she turned back to her target and emptied the remaining four chambers making the can dance across the yard. Lowering the gun she sighed, “I hope I never have to kill another can. I can’t imagine shooting anyone.”

  Laughing Dusty took the revolver from her. “I hope you never have to kill anything.”

  Sobering Lilly took a deep breath. “Me either. The thought of having to shoot anything makes me nauseous.”

  “Good. Listen. I have to go now. I’ll come back by this evening and clean the guns for you; if it’s all right with you.”

  “Sure. I should be back by then. I’m going to leave now too to visit Mom and Dad. I won’t be gone all day. I have to take care of the horses and check on the cows.” She said as she watched him climb into his truck. With a wave, he was speeding down the drive throwing gravel everywhere.

  Chapter Fifteen

  After church the next morning, Lilly zipped through a drive-thru to grab a little lunch on her way the hospital. Once she found a parking place, she wolfed down her two tacos and chugged the sweet tea. Gathering the trash, she jumped from the cab and made her way straight to the nearest waste bin by the stairwell. From there she raced down the stairs and into the hospital.

  Lilly went to her father’s hospital room after going to the gift shop. No one was there. The bed was neatly made, ready and waiting for the next occupant. Her heart leaped into her throat. What happened to Otter and why had no one called her? She ran to the nurses’ station. “Excuse me. Excuse me. Where’s my dad? Where’s Oliver Caldwell?”

  The charge nurse looked up from the computer. “Oliver Caldwell? He’s your father? I’m so sorry—”

  “What happened to him and why wasn’t I notified?” Tears began to pool in her eyes. They finally had a chance to build a relationship, and suddenly it was gone.

  “Oh! No, honey, it’s not like that at all.” The nurse rushed to her side. “Your father was such a pain in the behind last night. He kept demanding he be moved closer to his wife, so we finally managed to put him in the same room. It’s not policy to put men and women in the same room, and you, but they are married, and her doctor signed off on it. So, he’s upstairs with your mother.”

  Lilly quickly inhaled and exhaled a few times to regain control of her roiling emotions. “Thank you. Thank you very much for putting up with him for as long as you had to. Trust me. I appreciate how difficult he can be. Thank you.” She turned and marched stiffly to the elevator.

  The doors split apart, and Dusty started to walk out. “I don’t know why you’re here. Turn around and get back in there, Dusty. Dad made such a ruckus last night they moved him into Mom’s room. I seriously doubt she’ll get any rest with him in there twenty-four hours a day.” She jabbed at the button for her mother’s floor.

  “And good morning to you too.” He chuckled. “If it makes you feel any better, he’ll only be here until he’s able to manage on his own with just a little assistance.”

  They were standing outside her parents’ room and even with the door closed they could hear Otter yelling at the nurse to be careful with Miss Addie. Lilly signed as she shook her head. We’d better get in there and save the poor woman.”

  Chuckling, Dusty opened and held the door for Lilly to pass through. “Good morning, Miss Addie. Good morning, Mr. Otter.
How are you two this morning?”

  “Good morning, Mom. Dad.” Lilly passed close to Dusty in the narrow gap of the doorway. She felt the heat radiating from him. He smelled good. “Dad, you need to give this poor woman a break. We can hear you from the elevator. She’s trying to do her job, and you won’t let her. I’m sure she knows what she’s doing, and you’ve never been to nursing school.”

  The nurse smiled at her as she reached for another alcohol swab. “Good to see you again, Lilly. When did you get back in town?”

  “Abby Miller? I got back about a week and a half ago. How’ve you been?” Lilly took the old flowers from the vase, rinsed it out, and put in the new ones. After adding some water, she arranged them a little before putting them back on the table where her mother could see them. “I’ll hug you when you’ve finished.”

  “I won’t be but a few more seconds. How’s that feel, Miss Addie? It’s not too tight, is it?”

  Addie smiled sweetly. “It’s just fine, Abby. Thank you.”

  Abby smiled and gave Addie a quick hug. “I’ll be in to check on you before I go home. Just push the call button if you need anything, okay? You need to let us know when you need something, sweetie. That’s what we’re here for.” She turned and gave Lilly a big hug. “It sure is good to see you. How long are you staying?”

  “Too long already,” Otter muttered.

  There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, but Lilly decided to ignore her father. She smiled at Abby and walked with her to the door and out. “I don’t know yet exactly. It all depends on what I decide to do next. I’ve just retired from modeling. I thought I should get out before I was too old.”

  As the door closed, Dusty settled into one of the chairs and smiled at Miss Addie. “So, Miss Addie, how’d you come by such a cantankerous old codger for a roommate in a private room?”