Almost.
“I can’t get the card reader to work,” he continued. “I need to pay for my gas. Pump number seven . . . Where in the hell is everybody?”
“Gary is in the back.” Caroline came out from where she’d been hiding.
Noah swiveled his head around at the sound of Caroline’s voice. When he saw her, a small smile crept across his lips. “I thought I recognized that truck parked out there from yesterday.” He eyed the empty store. “Does everybody around here move this slowly in the morning?”
“It’s not just the morning,” Caroline replied. She nodded past Noah over at Gary, who was ambling towards them.
“Okay, Carolina, I’ve got your sandwiches,” Gary said, making his way behind the counter. He stopped when he saw Noah. “What can I do ya for?”
Noah turned his attention away from Caroline, and laid his credit card down next to Gary’s hand. “I just need to pay for my gas. The card reader out there isn’t working.”
“They ain’t never worked,” Gary replied. He slid the card towards Noah. “Cash only here, son.”
“I don’t have any cash.”
Gary sniffed, and folded his arms across his chest. “Says no cards right there at the pump. You can’t read?”
Noah’s jaw tightened. “I don’t have any cash. All I have is this card right here.” He shoved the card back to Gary.
“And I done told ya we don’t take cards,” Gary said. He placed his pointer finger in the middle of the card and pushed it over to Noah.
Caroline rolled her eyes. Honestly. “Gary, just put it on my tab.”
“You don’t need to do that,” Noah said. He was fidgeting with his card, rolling it over in his hands.
“How else you gonna pay?” Caroline asked. “Gary here’ll take it out of your hide before he lets you leave without paying for gas.”
“I’ll pay you back.”
“Go ahead, Gary,” Caroline said.
Gary eyed Noah suspiciously. “You sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“You know this stranger?” Gary continued.
“Gary, this is Noah Cranwell. Noah, this is Gary Ray Boyd.” Caroline motioned between the two men.
“Cranwell, eh?” Gary rubbed his chin. “You belong to them Cranwells out there in the hollers?”
“You know any other Cranwells, Gary?” Caroline asked.
“Sure don’t.” Gary continued rubbing his chin. “I reckon that’d make Jep Cranwell your granddaddy.”
Noah nodded. “I reckon it would.”
Caroline put her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle at the way Noah said “reckon.” It only made him seem like even more of an outsider. “Well, I’m glad we’ve got that all sorted out. No strangers here,” she said.
“You don’t do business with strangers?” Noah asked.
“Strangers pay cash,” Gary replied, finally letting go of his chin. “I’ll add this’n’ to your tab, Carolina.”
“Thanks, Gary.” Caroline pushed Noah out the door before he could say anything else.
“That was unbelievable,” Noah said to her once they were out of earshot of Gary. “Cash only?”
“You’re not in New Jersey,” Caroline reminded him. “Nobody around here is gonna trust a man wearing a Yankees hat. You’re in Cardinals country down here.”
“I reckon you’re right,” Noah replied. “I better switch hats.” He was grinning down at her as if he’d just eaten a whole pie all by himself.
“Don’t say that word again,” Caroline said, resisting the urge to grin right back. “It doesn’t sound right with that East Coast accent you’ve got goin’ on.”
“If you say so.”
Caroline ignored the excited hand motions her cousin was making from the passenger’s seat of the truck. “Think you can make it to where you’re headed without my help?”
Noah winked at her before slipping into his car. “I reckon we’ll find out.” He roared off down the road, leaving Caroline alone to explain herself to Ava Dawn.
“Was that Noah Cranwell?” Ava Dawn asked before Caroline had a chance to say anything. “It is, isn’t it?” She was practically bouncing off the seat.
“It was.”
“Lord have mercy, Caroline. He’s gorgeous.”
“He’s not bad lookin’,” Caroline agreed. “Puts me to shame first thing in the morning.”
“Hell, me, too.”
“Oh, shut up.” Caroline started the truck and pulled back onto the gravel road. As she drove, she stole a glance over at Ava Dawn and wondered how it was that her cousin could look fresh as a daisy on zero sleep when she herself looked like a Raggedy Ann doll. She’d tried to coax her crow’s nest of hair into a ponytail, but she’d given up and let it spring freely from her scalp in frizzy curls. “Listen, if you’re going to be here, you’re going to have to do more than spend your day staring across the street.” Caroline pulled into the bait shop driveway as Yara came running.
“Uh-huh.” Ava Dawn was turned around in her seat, staring in the direction of Cranwell Station.
Caroline rolled her eyes. “Please, at least put your tongue back in your mouth.” She got out of the truck and reached down to pet the top of Yara’s head. When that wasn’t enough, Yara jumped up on Caroline, her paws reaching Caroline’s shoulders, and licked her square on the face. “Ogooorfph,” Caroline said, pushing the dog away and wiping her face. “And feed this beast while you’re at it.”
“Fine, fine.”
Caroline walked around to the back of her truck to grab her tackle box and fishing pole. Maybe she’d have time to do some fishing later, if Ava Dawn was here. She paused for a moment when she heard a screeching of tires just behind her, and the distinct melody of Hank Williams Jr. playing from someone’s radio. Caroline didn’t have to think about who’d just pulled up in front of the shop. She knew, and she silently cursed at herself because she should have been expecting it.
Smoke from the dual exhausts of Roy Bean’s pickup truck billowed out into the dewy morning air. It was so thick, Caroline could taste it.
“Get on out of here, Roy,” Ava Dawn hollered, jumping out of the truck. “I ain’t got nothin’ more to say to you.”
“Well, I got plenty to say to you,” Roy replied. He spit a wad of tobacco onto the dirt road. It made a disgusting plop that Caroline could hear from where she was standing.
“Don’t waste your time,” Ava Dawn continued. “I ain’t goin’ nowhere with you.”
“Come home with me, baby,” Roy needled. He took a step onto the grass. “I miss you.”
“Yeah, well, I need you like I need a hole in my head, Roy Bean,” Ava spat back. “Get on out of here with that talk. You’re a liar.”
Roy took a menacing step forward and grasped one of his thick hands around Ava Dawn’s arm. He was done being nice. “You’re gonna wish you had a hole in your head by the time I’m done with you.”
Ava Dawn pulled out of his grasp and stumbled backwards, falling to the ground with a pop, prompting Yara to circle around in front of her, baring her teeth at Roy.
Caroline found her feet in time to reach her cousin before Roy did. She pulled her up and stepped in front of her cousin and her dog. “Get out of here, Roy,” Caroline said. She didn’t take her eyes off of him. She knew better than to do that.
Roy split his glare between Caroline and her cousin. “This is between me and my wife.”
“I thought I told you after the last time not to come back,” Caroline said. She took a deep breath in through her nose. She wasn’t scared of Roy, not when he was sober, but she didn’t like to ruffle his feathers all the same.
“I don’t recollect that.”
“That’s because you were piss drunk,” Ava Dawn screamed from behind Caroline.
“Shut up.” Roy sneered. “And get your fat ass into the truck.”
The ringing that had begun in Caroline’s ears was getting louder. She wanted to slap the chew out of Roy’s mouth. Behind hi
m, she saw Noah Cranwell watching them. It looked like he was stuck in place, one hand on the wheelbarrow he’d been pushing, and the other shielding his eyes from the sun to see the commotion. “Roy, I’m only going to ask you one more time to get off my property.”
Roy’s hands balled into fists, and he leaned into where Caroline stood. He was so close that Caroline could smell the Skoal tucked in between his lip and his teeth. He spit again, and this time, it hit the ground just inches from Caroline’s feet, some of it splattering up onto her flip-flop and exposed toes.
Before Caroline could react, Noah Cranwell was between them. He placed one of his hands palm down on Roy’s chest. “I think I heard this lady ask you to leave,” Noah said. His jaw muscle was flexing in and out.
Roy let out a gravelly laugh that sounded more like a cough. “I hate to break it to ya, buddy, but she ain’t no lady.”
“It’s time for you to leave,” Noah said. He was taller than Roy by at least six inches, but Roy had puffed himself up so big he looked like a blowfish.
“Who the fuck are you?” Roy demanded.
This time, they were interrupted by yet another set of screeching tires. When the dust cleared, Court Brannan emerged from his truck. He ambled over to them, one hand on the gun he always wore around his waist. He wasn’t wearing his uniform, and Caroline wondered how he even knew to come out here. Somehow, Court always knew.
“I thought I heard you tell Dwayne at the Dollar General that you were headed out this way,” Court said. “Now, tell me, Roy, what good can come of this?”
Roy glanced from Noah back over to Court, squaring his shoulders to both of them. “I ain’t leavin’ until I get my wife.”
“I don’t think your wife wants to go with you,” Court said. “You’re outnumbered here, friend.”
“He’s too dumb to figure that out!” Ava Dawn hollered, still hiding behind Caroline.
“Shut up!” Roy growled.
“Go on home,” Court urged. Then he looked over at Noah, as if noticing him for the first time. “You, too,” he said. “I can take it from here.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Noah replied.
“I don’t know who you are,” Court said. His voice was calm and even. “But I’m the law around these parts, and I’m not asking ya.”
“Come on, Roy,” Caroline said. “Go home and think about what you’re doing.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Roy said, his words firing between Court and Noah. “You better shut up. You all better shut up.”
Caroline turned and walked up the steps and inside the shop, dragging Ava Dawn behind her. There wasn’t going to be any blood spilled on her property today. At least, not any blood that she didn’t spill herself. She could still hear the men arguing outside as she bent down and pulled out the .22 gauge shotgun she kept behind the counter. Gun in hand, she walked back out onto the porch. “Roy Bean!” Caroline hollered. “I’m going to give you fifteen seconds to get off my property before I shoot you.”
Noah, Court, and Roy stopped and stared at Caroline.
“One, two, three,” Caroline began to count.
“You better do what she says,” Court said. He nodded at Roy. “You know good as I do she’ll shoot.”
“Four, five, six . . .”
“I ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
“Seven, eight, nine . . .”
“I don’t know about this urban cowboy.” Roy jabbed his thumb in Noah’s direction. “But Court ’n’ me both carry.”
“That may be so,” Caroline replied, hoisting the shotgun to her shoulder. “But you both know I’m a better shot. Now you’ve got six seconds to decide how this is gonna turn out.”
Roy sniffed, placing his thumb on the side of his nose. “A’ight, a’ight.” Roy pointed at Ava Dawn. “You best be gettin’ home, or you and your bitch cousin will both regret it.” He turned and hopped back up into his truck, peeling out in a show of dust and rocks.
Caroline lowered the shotgun to the relief of her aching arms. Both Noah and Court were still standing there. Noah was staring at her intensely. She couldn’t tell if he was angry or impressed, and Caroline felt goose bumps begin to prick up on her arms. With his dark hair and even darker eyes, Noah stood in stark contrast to Court, who had sandy blond hair and blue eyes.
“Don’t worry, man. She ain’t gonna shoot ya,” Court said to Noah, clapping him on the back.
Noah tore his eyes away from Caroline and looked at Court. “I keep forgetting everybody around here carries a gun.”
“You ain’t from around here, I’m guessin’?” Court asked.
“I was born here,” Noah replied. “But I grew up in New Jersey.”
“Shit, people in New Jersey have guns, right?”
“I did.”
“You ought ta get along just fine.” Court stuck out his hand. “The name’s Court Brannan.”
“Noah Cranwell.”
Court stopped mid-shake. “Well, I’ll be damned. Nice to meet ya.”
Caroline turned her back to them and headed back inside the shop to replace the gun.
“Caroline, I’m sorry,” Ava Dawn began, still standing where Caroline left her. “I should have known Roy’d come out here half-cocked.”
“It’s alright.” Caroline sighed. “I should have figured it out on my own when you told me you left while he was asleep.”
“Looks like I’ll be staying with you for a while.”
“You know that’s okay with me,” Caroline said. “Dad and I are always here for you, and if my mom could help, you know she would.”
“Seemed like maybe Noah Cranwell wanted to help us,” Ava Dawn replied with a wink. “Jeezus, he’s cute.”
“We didn’t need his help.”
“I thought it was mighty gentlemanly of him.”
“It was pretty stupid,” Caroline said. “Roy was pissed.”
“Havin’ him around might come in pretty handy.” Ava Dawn winked at her cousin.
“I don’t need his help.”
Ava Dawn leaned farther onto the counter and said, “I ain’t talkin’ about needin’ to depend on nobody. I’m talkin’ about wantin’ to depend on someone, just because it’s nice to have a shoulder that ain’t attached to the head of a relative. I’m talkin’ about havin’ a good man by your side.”
Caroline rolled her eyes. “You act like good men come easy as cow patties out here, Ava Dawn. Besides, I don’t think either one of us have any business deciding what constitutes a good man considering the luck we’ve had.”
“It ain’t about luck,” Ava Dawn continued. “I picked Roy fair and square, and I got exactly what I bargained for.”
“Nobody bargains for that.” Caroline reached out to hug her cousin. As aggravating as she was, Ava Dawn was the closest thing to a sister Caroline had ever had. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
“I know you didn’t.”
By the time Caroline went back out to check on Noah and Court, Noah was gone. He’d disappeared back inside Cranwell Station, and Court was waiting for her, sitting on his tailgate. She walked outside and slid herself up onto the tailgate next to him. “I’ve been calling you,” she said.
“I know,” Court replied. “I didn’t know what to say.”
“Court, I’m just, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he said, giving her the brightest smile he could muster. “She made me promise not to be sad, but I won’t be able to keep from it if you keep on tellin’ me you’re sorry.”
Caroline rested her head against his shoulder. “Okay, but you know I’m here for you, right? You know that.”
“Of course I know that.” Court placed his cheek onto the top of Caroline’s head.
“Are you on duty today?”
“Not until later,” Court replied, straightening himself up. “We can’t afford for me to take the time off right now. Not with the funeral.”
Caroline swallowed. “When is it?”
“Fri
day.” Court jumped from the tailgate to the gravel beneath them. “I’m glad that you’re going to have Noah Cranwell for a neighbor.”
“Why?” Caroline narrowed her eyes at him. “So he can protect me in all his manly glory?”
“So you can protect him,” Court replied. “Didn’t you hear him say he grew up in New Jersey?”
“Well, he did live here until he was five,” Caroline conceded. “I guess he’s from here.”
“Can you even imagine what it was like growing up with that ogre Jep Cranwell as your grandfather?” Court shuddered. “Awful.”
Caroline waved as Court drove off. She couldn’t remember a time when he wasn’t cracking jokes, and she wished she could be the kind of friend to him, especially right now, that he was to her. He’d been there for her when her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. His whole family—his dad and Pam included—had been there. It didn’t seem real that Pam was gone.
When she turned around to head back into the bait shop, she caught sight of Noah Cranwell from inside Cranwell Station. The windows were old and cracked, but he was cleaning them, nonetheless. He was so intent upon his work that he didn’t notice her staring at him. Caroline had never been to New Jersey, but she couldn’t decide if it was good or bad to have an outsider on the inside, bringing attention to a few of the cracks.
CHAPTER 5
COLD RIVER WAS SETTLED IN 1832 BY A MAN named Jacob Powell, a man with little directional sense who fell headfirst, so the legend goes, into the river. When he finally emerged, soaking wet in the middle of the winter, he commented to his wife that the water sure was cold. He promptly died of pneumonia, leaving his wife and children to settle what would eventually become the town, which ended up sitting right on the Union-Confederate line. Half the Powell kids fought for the North, half fought for the South, and the town was practically burned to the ground during the Civil War.
After the war, to this day referred to by the townspeople as the only war that mattered, both sides came together to rebuild, making Cold River the county seat. A statue of Jacob was erected in his honor. Even as a child, Caroline thought it was ridiculous that her town had chosen to honor a man who stumbled into a river rather than the woman who really settled the town, a woman whose name nobody could even remember.
Just Fine with Caroline Page 3
