by Mia Ford
Jane’s back room storage was a mess. She hadn’t been joking when she had warned me of how much work needed to be done, and it took me almost three hours just to orient myself with everything. Afterwards, I buried myself into the task of cataloging and organizing, using my years of secretarial experience just to make some sense of the haphazardness that existed around me. I knew that whatever I did would probably have to be tweaked over and over again until it ran smoothly, but for now I was just content with having a preliminary system in place. Something other than the chaos that had been festering here for decades.
And through it all, I thought about Andy. His eyes, his smile, the way he looked at me, the awkward dance and the even more awkward silence when he drove me home. There was definitely something there, even if I didn’t want to admit it to myself right away. The question, though, was what.
Bobby’s warning came rushing to the forefront of my mind, and I quickly brushed it away. Yes, it had only been three days since I ran away from Dennis, and yes, I was probably in some sort of denial. But it felt good. And I wanted to feel good. I needed to. It had been so long since the last time I actually looked forward to something other than a night alone without a beating. Was it so wrong that I enjoy it while it lasted?
I looked up at the time, the clock on the wall letting me know that my shift was over, and I could finally stop thinking and have a little fun. I stretched, organized my desk into something that looked a little presentable, and made my way into the front store. Jane was waiting by the cash register, the morning remarkably slow for a weekday. She looked up and smiled as I approached her.
“Done already?” she asked.
I chuckled. “Not even close,” I said. “You were right, that place is like a cave of bad dreams.”
“Told ya it was going to be hard work.”
“And I’m all for it,” I said. “Don’t worry about that. At least I know I’ll be around for a while to see it through ‘til the very end.”
Jane smiled. “Glad to hear it. Gonna call Bobby to pick you up?”
I looked past her and caught sight of Andy’s Nissan parked outside. He was sitting in the driver’s seat talking to someone through the open window.
“Nope,” I smiled. “My ride’s already here.”
Jane looked over her shoulder and then back at me and winked. “Fine young man, that Stetson boy. Just remember the ring on your finger’s still there.”
I laughed, feeling like my mother was giving me a pep talk before sending me off to the prom. “I remember,” I said. “He’s just a friend, Jane.”
“And I’m the Queen of England, sweetheart,” Jane grinned. “Now, go before I find something else for you to do.”
“Already gone,” I called back as I raced out the supermarket.
Andy smiled when he saw me, and I felt my knees buckle just a little. I was beginning to remember what it felt like to have someone actually be happy to see me. He got out of the car, took me in for a quick hug and then gestured to the passenger side.
“Come on, I have somewhere I want to take you,” he said.
“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. “Another drinking hole?”
“Do you think that’s all I do?” he chuckled.
“So where are we going?”
“A surprise.”
I smiled, climbed into the passenger side, and we pulled away.
***
We ended up driving all the way to Eagleville Preserve. Andy parked the car in the closest spot to the whitewater falls that emptied into Eagleville Lake, and opened the door for me to join him. The weather was beautiful, the soft breeze giving the air a soft chill that made me wrap my arms around my shoulders, despite the heat of the sun. I gazed out across the pond, taking in the mesmerizing view as I stood next to Andy.
“It’s beautiful,” I said. “But you do know I’ve been here a few times before, right?”
Andy chuckled and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. I felt my body melt into his as he pulled me close and pointed to the small island in the middle of the pond. “I bet you’ve never been there, though.”
I frowned, looking up at him in wonder. “Eagleville Manor, really?”
Andy only nodded, looking down at me with a mischievous smile.
“That place’s been abandoned forever,” I said. “You know that, right?”
He winked at me and led me towards the Coventry side of the lake, where a few fishing boats were strung up. “It pays to hang out with a small-town celebrity.”
I shook my head in disbelief as I followed him around the dam and towards the fishing boats. Three men sat in beach chairs under a small umbrella table, playing cards and drinking beer. One of them looked up as we approached and flashed us a wide smile.
“Andy Stetson,” he greeted, slowly getting to his feet and stretching before shaking Andy’s hand. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Been a long time, Jack,” Andy agreed. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder again and brought me forward. “Jack Baxter, meet Andrea Canfield.”
“Bobby’s sister?” Jack frowned, squinting at me as if he were trying to find something to recognize me with.
“The one and only,” Andy chuckled.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Jack smiled. “I heard you left Mansfield a long time ago. A smart girl like you should know not to come back to this dead-end town.”
“Thanks, Jack, really,” Andy laughed. “Jack’s from Coventry. We never see eye to eye on whose town is better.”
“Mansfield’s nothing without that university,” Jack argued, shooting Andy a challenging glare that didn’t seem too menacing coupled with his smile.
“And Coventry’s just as hospitable as ever,” Andy grinned.
I smiled at the two men as they took shots at each other, and briefly let my eyes wander back to the lake. The Manor sat on a small island dead center of Eagleville Lake. Rumor was, it belonged to a rich farmer who had once owned most of the farmland in Mansfield and Coventry before he lost it all after his wife died. People say he broke off ties with the mainland ever since and was finally carried out of his house when he died. Alone. For a while, it had been a bit of a tourist trap for both towns, but eventually lost its appeal when the stories of ghosts and hauntings died down. Someone bought it years later and closed it to the public, reviving the mysteriousness for a while, but not long enough. The last I remembered, no one had set foot on the island in decades.
“So, I was hoping I could borrow your boat,” Andy was saying.
Jack looked from me to Andy and back again. “I’m assuming you want the keys as well.”
“Nothing like that, Jack,” Andy said. “Just want to show her around. I’m kind of pulling the big cards here.”
Jack laughed and fished into his back pocket, pulling out a ring with a set of keys in it and tossing it to Andy.
“You know which drives the boat and which opens the house,” Jack waved. “Nice to see you, sweetheart. Give my best to Bobby.”
“I will,” I said, and let Andy pull me away and down to the fishing boats.
“You’ve been to Eagleville Manor?” I asked in surprise as he helped me into one of the boats.
“Several times,” Andy said. “Very few people know this, but Jack is the groundskeeper. He let me in on his secret when I saved his house from burning to the ground. Since then, he lets me take the boat out whenever I want.”
“And exactly how many girls have you tried to impress by bringing them out there?”
“Just you,” Andy smiled.
I quickly turned away to hide my smile.
***
Eagleville Manor felt like it had never been abandoned. I had to hand it to Jack; he was doing a great job at keeping the place alive. From the minute we docked the boat to the gravel walkway up, the entire island looked like it was ready to once again be opened to tourists. The grass was mowed, the trees looked luscious and alive, and all around were beds of flowers that no doubt took a lot of energy an
d time to maintain.
The Manor itself looked like it had just been freshly painted, and the windows seemed to smile down on us as we made our way up the walkway and to the front door. Andy fiddled with the key a bit, struggled to turn it, and then opened the door and let us in.
The furnishing was extravagant. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling with crystals that glistened in the sunlight coming in through the large panel windows. A magnificent staircase led up from the foyer to the second floor, wide enough for a dozen people to walk up side by side without ever touching shoulders. Large carpets lay across the hardwood floors, and paintings the size of my bedroom wall hung in strategic places, the faces gazing down at us in silent welcome.
It took my breath away.
“This place is beautiful,” I gasped.
Andy took my hand, squeezed it gently, and led me to the stairs. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”
He led me upstairs, down a wide hall decorated with wall rugs and more portraits. At the end of the hall were twin oak doors which he pushed open, walking us into a massive bedroom with a huge terrace looking out onto the lake. I didn’t have time to take in the room before Andy hurried me along and out onto the terrace.
My breath caught in my chest. From where we stood, we could see the entire lake and forest beyond. A few houses dotted the shore along the Coventry side, but they only added to the splendor of the view. I found myself gravitating towards the edge, my eyes wide as I took it all in, feeling every inch of my body flutter with excitement. Goose bumps broke out across my arms, and for second, I felt on the edge of tears. I had never seen something so beautiful in my life.
“It’s really something, huh?” Andy said, coming up beside me and holding my hand.
“It’s gorgeous,” I whispered. “Oh my god, Andy, thank you so much.”
“For what?” Andy chuckled. “You looked like you needed to see this.”
“I did,” I nodded. I looked up at him with tears in my eyes.
He frowned, suddenly taken back. “Woah, are you okay?”
I nodded quickly and placed a hand on his chest, tapping him lightly. “I’m fine,” I laughed. “Just a little overwhelmed. This is just –” I was at a loss for words.
“Well, I’m glad you like it,” he smiled.
I looked out across the lake, then back at him, gazing hard into his eyes. Whatever I had been worried about before, it was gone. I didn’t care if I was being absurd. I didn’t care that I still had a ring on my finger and that I was hiding from an abusive husband. I didn’t care about Bobby’s warnings, or that I might be in denial. None of that mattered right now. All I could think about was Eagleville Manor, the spectacular view that took my breath away, and the man who had brought me here.
“You okay?” Andy asked, cocking his head to a side, a cute look of confusion all across his face.
I didn’t reply. I just pushed myself up onto the tip of my toes, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him.
Chapter 10: Andy
I walked into the station with a wide smile on my face. The afternoon with Andrea had left me feeling like a million dollars, riding a high like no other. It was completely unlike me, that I would be satisfied with anything less than a good romp under the covers. But this felt even better. Like I was a kid who had just been given the golden ticket to the chocolate factory.
I had driven her home, Bobby’s truck absent from the driveway, and had kissed her some more before reluctantly letting her go. I had wanted to stay at the Manor all day, all night even. To hell with my shift. I was already on the Chief’s bad side anyway. Missing my shift wouldn’t have done any more damage.
Andrea had been the one to talk some sense into me, and I had a feeling it had a lot more to do with how Bobby felt about all this than us. I could tell she was enjoying herself, that like me, she wanted to spend as much time at Eagleville Manor as I did. In the end, though, she had been the voice of reason. Things were moving pretty fast, and without Bobby in the loop, going any further than this could ruin our relationship.
I walked into the locker room, changed and made my way upstairs to the break room. Bobby was alone inside, propped up on a couch and reading. He looked at me when I walked in and returned to his book. That, along with the frown on his face, made me hesitate for a second. I wanted to talk to him about Andrea and seeing him like this made me feel like now probably wouldn’t be the best of times.
Then again, it’s never the right time to tell your friend that you want to hook up with his sister.
“Hey, man,” I greeted, pulling out a chair and sitting down.
Bobby grunted and flipped a page.
“So, listen, I wanted to talk to you about something,” I said.
“If this is about Andrea, I don’t want to hear it,” Bobby replied, squinting at the page he was reading as if it were the most important piece of literature he had ever come across. It annoyed the hell out of me.
“I know you’re not exactly thrilled with how much time we’re spending together,” I said. “Especially that you want her to lay low, what with Dennis and all.”
“She’s a big girl,” Bobby replied, still riveted by the book. “If she thinks she’s safe, then she’s safe. I can’t really do anything about that.”
“Yeah, I guess,” I said. “But the whole safety thing isn’t what I wanted to talk to you about.”
Bobby didn’t reply and flipped another page.
“These past couple of days, I just feel like –” I started, and quickly snatched the book from his hands, frustrated at how childish he was being. “Could you at least look at me when I’m talking to you?”
Bobby glared at me, pursed his lips, then pushed himself up into a sitting position, giving me his full attention. I could see the rage boiling underneath the quiet surface. “I’m all ears,” he said through clenched teeth.
I nodded. “Like I was saying, these past couple of days, I’ve really gotten to know Andrea, you know?”
“You know she’s still married, right?” Bobby interrupted. “Crazy guy who beats her, probably driving around the state looking for her.”
I frowned. “Of course, I know that.”
“And don’t get me wrong, the guy’s a complete prick,” Bobby continued. “If I get half the chance, I’ll probably bash his face in. But he’s still her husband, and she still has a ring on her finger.”
I shook my head, confused. What the hell was he getting at?
“People here, they don’t know that, though,” Bobby explained, as if reading my mind. “I don’t share that kind of information with anyone, other than you, of course, because you’re my friend. Right?”
“I don’t –”
“So how do you think it looks when my sister’s hanging out with you all the time?” Bobby asked. “My married sister and my best friend? The guy who’s fucked half the student body at UCONN?”
“Wait, hold on,” I stopped him, a little ticked off at what he was saying. “Nothing happened between us.”
“I never suggested something did,” Bobby said. “I don’t think either of you would be that stupid. I can’t speak for everyone else.”
“Since when did you care about what everyone else thought?”
“Since she called me in the middle of the night, crying and scared shitless, running away from home,” Bobby snapped. “I can’t keep my eyes on her 24/7. I need the support system that is this town. Do you think I’ll get that when they think my sister’s out having a good time while her husband’s not around?”
“Dude, seriously, I think you’re overeating about –”
“And what about Crazy Hannah?” Bobby interrupted me again. I pursed my lips, holding back my anger at being scolded like a child. “You know, the maniac who threatened to cut off your cock if she caught you in bed with another woman? She sees you with Andrea, and then what? I’m supposed to worry that she might run my sister over at the first chance she catches her crossing the street?”
“
Hey, can you calm down,” I shot back. “I ended things with Hannah yesterday. Besides, crazy bitch is my problem, not yours.”
“Like hell,” Bobby yelled. “I asked you to watch her for a day. Her first day. Not encourage whatever the hell she thinks she’s doing.”
“I have no idea what’s gotten into you,” I said, his reactions driving me up the wall. Usually Bobby had a pretty good head on his shoulders, and worrying about what people thought, and what Hannah might or might not do, was unlike him. “Listen, I just came here to tell you that I’m really starting to like Andrea, and I think the feeling’s mutual. I just wanted to make sure that you’d be on board with it, but obviously, that’s not going to happen.”
“Of course, it’s not going to happen!” Bobby stood up, furious. “How the hell did you expect me to be okay with that?”
“Because of what people would think?” I asked. “Really? I would have expected –”
“Because of you, you jackass!” Bobby cut in. “I don’t want her hanging out with you!”
I stared at him, shocked and a little taken back. The way he was glaring at me, I had a feeling that he was inches away from strangling me. I didn’t expect a hearty blessing, but I definitely didn’t see this coming.
“You’re as stable as a rabid dog,” Bobby shouted. “Do you think my sister’s a toy? Go out, drop her off at home, then spend the night with some college student you pick up on your way home. Or are you going to just sleep with her, then toss her to the side?”
