Southern Heat

by Natasha Madison

  "I didn’t have a chance yet,” I say.

  "Oh, good,” Amelia says. “This is my favorite part of all of this." She claps her hands. “Come on,” she says to Willow.

  "You need to lie down,” I say. “And I need to go and get your meds."

  "Um," she says. “I don’t have any money on me, and I don’t even know where my bank card is,” she says, and I see her squeezing the bag in her hand harder and harder. "I’ll go get them tomorrow."

  "Let’s get you in bed," Amelia says, and Willow walks to her. “I can’t wait to see it all,” she says, and they walk out of the room. Amelia looks over at me and nods her head, and I know she will take care of her.

  I walk out of the house, closing the door softly behind me and getting back into my truck. I pull out of the driveway with my heart in my stomach. I take one last look at the house before I take off, and I swear I feel her eyes on me.

  Chapter 20

  Willow

  I watch him drive away from the house and then step away from the window. "I know it can be overwhelming," Amelia says, closing the walk-in closet she just opened to show me. “And I know you need your rest."

  She walks over to sit on the bench at the foot of the bed, crossing her legs under her. My eyes take in the room, and I’m in awe. I have never seen a nicer room in my life. I have never seen a nicer home in my life. This is a fairy-tale castle where the princess lives. It’s just another reason I shouldn’t be here. “When you get up, we can put away the rest of your clothes."

  I hold the black bag in my hand like a security blanket. "I really don’t know what to say." I look around. “About anything.”

  "The good news is that you don’t need to really say anything." She smiles and gets up. “I’m going to go and get some work done while you nap."

  She smiles at me and walks out of the door, closing it gently behind her. I finally drop the bag beside my feet and walk back to the bed, making the mistake of sitting on it. I sink into it like it’s a cloud in the sky. "I have to get out of here,” I say to myself, kicking off the flip-flops so I don’t get the cover dirty. I lay my head down on the pillow and make the mistake of turning on my side. Before I know it, I’m sinking into the darkness.

  I feel a warmth all around me and then feel something put over me. I want to open my eyes, but the bed pulls me right back into slumber. When I finally open my eyes, I see that the room is almost dark, and it takes me a second to blink away the sleepiness. I look over and see the door open just a bit with a soft yellow light coming from the hallway. I sit up, and the blanket falls off me. Someone had put a blanket on me while I was sleeping.

  I fold it back and get out of bed, going to the bathroom. The button on the pants take me a lot more time than just the hospital gown. I wonder if I should leave the room. I look out the window and see that Quinn’s truck is there, but Amelia’s truck is gone.

  Inhaling deeply, I open the door and step out into the hallway to see if I hear any noise. The sounds of low talking have me stopping in my tracks. I take a couple more steps and look around the corner into the dimly lit room. I walk with my hand touching the wall as I look over my shoulder at the front door. The need to escape is becoming bigger and bigger. I stop in front of the writing that is on the wall.

  The most important work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home.

  "You’re up," I hear Quinn say and turn to look at him getting up from the couch. Gone are his jeans and T-shirt and in its place are shorts and a T-shirt. "I came to check on you, but you were out."

  "I’m sorry,” I say. “I didn’t hear you." I look at the television and see that he was watching something. "I …" I start to say, getting nervous.

  "Are you hungry?" he asks, and I want to say no, but my stomach has other plans as it rumbles. He laughs, and I look at him and see that his eyes look sleepy.

  "Were you sleeping?" I ask, and he stops in front of me.

  "I might have dozed off a bit,” he says, running his hands through his hair. “That couch is way more comfortable than that hospital chair.”

  I swallow and look around when he walks away from me, heading to the fridge. “You don’t have to cook,” I say. “I can wait until tomorrow."

  "You barely ate breakfast, and you skipped lunch,” he says, taking a glass baking dish out of the fridge and walking over to the oven.

  "I’ll be fine if I have water,” I say, and he slams the oven door shut.

  "My grandmother made a chicken potpie, and it will be done in about thirty-five minutes," he tells me, his voice tight. “Did you want a glass of water?"

  "Yes, please,” I say, tapping my finger on my leg as he walks over to the fridge and opens it.

  "Would you like lemonade instead?" he asks. I don’t want to tell him that I’ve never had lemonade. I want to tell him that I’m not sure I would like it.

  "I don’t think I’ve ever tried lemonade,” I say softly, and he turns to get a glass. He pours halfway and then comes to me.

  "Try it,” he says, handing me the glass. “I’m not a fan, but you never know."

  He hands me the glass with the light yellow drink. My hand comes up to grab the glass, and our fingers graze each other. The heat goes right up my arm as I move my hand away from his and put the glass to my lips to take a sip. The tanginess hits my tongue right away. “It’s good,” I say, looking at it, “but do you think I can just have water?”

  He laughs, grabbing the glass. “It’s the bitterness that I hate.” He walks over to the fridge and grabs a water bottle out of it, then returns to me and hands me the bottle. “Do you want to go sit outside while we wait?"

  I try to hide the smile that spreads across my face by looking down, but his finger reaches out and lifts my chin. “Don’t hide that smile,” he says softly, his finger remaining under my chin. “When you smile. I mean, really smile," he says, “your eyes light up to a green that looks almost a crystal blue."

  I look at him, not sure what to say. “I never noticed.” I speak the truth, but I leave out that it’s because I’ve never had a reason to smile.

  "Let’s go out." His hand slips from my chin, and he grasps my hand, pulling me out the door toward the backyard. I have to stop walking when I look at his oasis. The in-ground pool looks as big as an Olympic pool.

  He turns to his right, walking next to the house on his covered patio until he comes to the swing. The same swing is in the front and made me want to run to it and sit down when I saw it.

  Little strung-up tea lights are wrapped around the pillars that hold up the roof. “It’s so pretty,” I say in awe of the twinkling lights.

  "This," he says, sitting down on the swing, “is what I added to the house once I moved in."

  “Did you build it all?” I ask him as I sit down next to him on the white swing. He gently pushes it back and forth with his foot. Our legs touch each other, and I have this sudden urge to hold his hand. Just as he did in the hospital to calm me down.

  "I did." He smiles. “I mean, my cousin Reed helped me out, and my dad came by a couple of times." He looks down. “But I wanted to do it by myself. I wanted to be the one who built it."

  "Well," I say, looking around at the potted plants and then the small two-seat couch on the other side, “it’s the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen." I smile at him and then sit back as I take in the view.

  The trees at the far end are so dense that you can’t even see inside the forest, and the sound of a stream fills the air. “It’s so peaceful." I look around.

  "It is," he says. “I’ll come out here and lie down after dinner." I wonder how many women have sat exactly where I am now, thinking this would be their house. That he would be their man.

  "Where is Amelia?" I ask, looking at him.

  "She’s at the bar,” he says, and I just look at him. “That’s her second job."

  "She has two jobs?" I ask, shocked.

  “She does. She takes care of my barn during the day, and then she picks up
shifts at the bar my aunt owns in town,” he says. “She isn’t happy if she isn’t working. She always has to be doing something, and sitting around just irritates her."

  I don’t ask him any more questions. Instead, I look out and bask in the sounds of the night. The chirping of crickets fills the air. “It’s so quiet,” I say. “Like if you close your eyes, you can hear everything."

  His phone rings in his pocket, and he gets up. “Food is ready." He holds out his hand for me. I look at him and then the hand, wondering if I should take it or not. "I’m just helping you up,” he says, and I reach out and grab his hand. As soon as I’m standing, I let his hand fall and shake off the feeling of his warmth.

  We walk into the house, and my mouth waters at the aroma filling the room. “It smells so good,” I say and almost bite my tongue.

  "It should smell good." He walks into the kitchen and grabs two pot holders, opening the oven. “My grandmother made this fresh today,” he says, taking the potpie out of the oven, and I can see the golden crust. “I picked it up when I got your pills,” he says, and my eyes are on the pie the whole time.

  He walks over to the cabinet and takes two plates out. Walking back over, he cuts two pieces and puts them on the plates. “Shit,” he says, looking at me. “I forgot to make a salad."

  I shake my head at his nervousness. “We don’t need a salad,” I say. “The pie will be enough."

  He nods his head and walks over to the island, where he sets the two plates. I don’t move from my spot, afraid to get in the way. “Come and sit,” he says, and only then do I move to walk next to him. He pulls out a stool, and I just look at him, walking to the one beside him as he laughs. “I was holding out the chair for you,” he says, and I look at him shocked.

  "I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” I say. “Why would you do that?" I ask him, confused.

  "It’s a gentlemanly thing to do,” he says, grabbing his fork and scooping a piece of the pie. I look down at the plate in front of me and not only is the pie golden but it’s flaky also. My fork slides right into it, and I blow on it a couple of times before I place it in my mouth.

  The buttery goodness just melts onto my tongue, and I try not to groan. "Is it good?" he asks, and I just nod. "She’ll be happy to know."

  I eat until my eyeballs are full, but when I look down, I see I’ve only eaten half of what he’s given to me. “I don’t think I’ve ever eaten this much food,” I say, looking at him. He gets up to get another piece, and he smiles.

  “That was my plate,” he says, and I look down at the half-eaten plate.

  “I’m going to finish it,” I say, and he laughs. “I didn’t know,” I say, my heart hammering in my chest as I look down and my hand shakes.

  "Hey," he says and then calls me by my name. “Willow." I look up at him, and I have to blink away the tears.

  "I don’t mean to waste the food," I start to say. “I’m really sorry, and I know this is your house."

  "It’s my fault,” he says. “I should have switched the plates." He comes back without his plate and grabs the plate in front of me. “I’ll just finish eating this." He grabs my plate and fork and finishes what is on my plate. “See, no waste."

  "Thank you," I tell him and yawn. “I’m going to head to bed."

  “Okay,” he says. “If you need anything, yell.” I think about telling him that I would like him to come with me to my room. That I wake up at night and look for him. That I miss his hand holding mine. I want to tell him all this, but instead, I just look at him.

  “Good night, Quinn.” I turn and walk away from him toward the bedroom. I climb into bed, telling myself I’ll leave in the middle of the night. I lie down, looking at the light in the hallway as my eyes start to get heavier. I’m going to sleep a bit to gain my energy and then leave. It’s what I need to do for both of us. In the darkness of the night, I’ll slip out, and I’ll be just a memory.

  Chapter 21

  Quinn

  I watch her walk back to her bedroom with her head hanging down. The look on her face when she was telling me about wasting food was more than I could take. I wanted to take the whole pie and throw it in the trash to make her see that I didn’t care. Nothing, and I mean nothing, could prepare me for that look. I put the pie away and sit on the couch, the whole time listening to see if she calls for me.

  When Amelia gets home after midnight, she just waves and goes to her bedroom. I get up, turning off the light, and I walk to Willow’s room. I poke my head in there and find her sleeping on her side in a fetal position, and she is still wearing the clothes that she came home in.

  I walk into the room as quietly as I can so as not to wake her and grab the blanket, placing it on her. I did the same thing this afternoon, afraid she would get cold.

  Making my way back to the couch, I grab my own blanket, and I fall asleep until the sound of my alarm wakes me. I open my eyes and look at it, seeing it’s five fifteen. Going to my bedroom, I walk straight to the closet and slip on my blue jeans and a black T-shirt. I walk out and stop in my tracks when I see her standing in the middle of the room. She looks like she is going to bolt. “Hey," I whisper, and she turns around. “Did I wake you?"

  "No," she says. “I was …" She looks at me. “Where are you going?"

  With a smile, I go over and grab my boots. “To the barn." I slip them on and then look at her. “You want to come?"

  "To the barn?" she asks, her eyes going big.

  "Yeah," I say. “You might not come back with white jeans, but we can always throw them in the wash.” I walk to the closet at the front door and grab a pair of sneakers I bought for her. "Let me go get you a pair of socks." I hand her the sneakers and go back into her room. Her black bag sitting in the middle of the bed makes me stop. Was she going to leave? I wonder, going to grab a pair of socks and then head back out to her.

  “Were you going to leave?” I ask. She looks at me, the color draining from her face. “You were going to leave?”

  “I was,” she admits. “I’ve taken enough of your generosity.”

  “Where were you going to go?” I ask, trying to remain calm.

  “I didn’t have anything planned, to be honest,” she says, setting down the shoes.

  "Well, you aren’t allowed to leave town," I remind her. I don’t bother telling her that Jacob called me yesterday to tell me that she has been cleared of all wrongdoing, and she is, in fact, free to leave.

  "I wasn’t going to leave town exactly," she admits, and I hold the socks out for her.

  "Here.” I hand her the socks and then turn to walk to the fridge. “Did you even think about how anyone would feel?"

  She looks at me, and I know that I should slow down and bring my voice down a bit. “Did you think about how I would feel coming in and seeing you gone? Or Amelia?"

  "No.” She avoids looking at me. “The only thing I thought about was not putting anything extra on your plate. You have a business to run,” she huffs out. “And Amelia has two jobs, so the last thing she needs is to babysit me." She bends as she slips on the shoes.

  "I didn’t think of anyone but myself," she answers. Seeing the tears she must have wiped away when she bent down, I hate knowing I made her cry. But the thought of her out there without anyone knowing is just too much. "I didn’t think about anyone else because, for the past fifteen years of my life, I’ve only had to worry about one person and one person only, myself." The burning in my stomach comes out of nowhere, along with the pain in my chest. “But for the first time, I was thinking about someone else." She doesn’t give me a chance to say anything. “Which way do we go? From the front or the back."

  "We should take the golf cart,” I say and turn to walk toward a part of the house I didn’t show her. “This is the way to the garage,” I say when she walks slowly behind me.

  I turn the light on and open the garage door. She gets into the cart, and I slip in behind her. "By the way." I look over at her. “The house is wired, so it would have alerted me had you
opened the door.”

  “Well, then there goes my plan to escape quietly into the night,” she says as she looks ahead.

  We pull up to the barn, and I look over at her. “Welcome to Barnes Therapy." I get out and wait for her to get out. “You are seeing behind the scenes."

  I walk over to one of the red doors and pull it open. I walk in a bit and turn on the lights. "This is all yours?" she says from beside me. Her eyes are wide as she looks around.

  "This is one of them,” I say, walking in. “First thing I do when I come in," I say, “is start the coffee for my team."

  "How many team members do you have?" she asks softly.

  "At this location, I have about ten,” I say. “Do you want a tour?"

  She tries to hide her smile, but it comes out anyway when she nods her head. “Follow me,” I say, turning to go to the closed door. “This is the office." I open the door and walk in to where an L-shaped desk sits in the middle of the room. She steps in and turns to look at the pictures covering the wall. "That is every person who has attended my therapy classes. There is more in the other offices also."

  "You helped all these people?" she whispers, her hand going to her mouth.

  "Yeah,” I say, putting my hands on my hips. “I guess I did."

  "You don’t see it." She turns to me. “But it all makes sense."

  "What does?" I look at her confused.

  "Why you couldn’t just leave me there,” she says, and I don’t want to get into this with her. I know she isn’t ready for what I have to say, and I know that she has to heal first.

  "You ready to meet some of my girls?" I ask, and she just looks at me. “The girls.” I walk out and look over my shoulder to see her coming out and following me. “Usually, there is more light in here,” I say as she walks down the gray concrete. “But in the morning, I only turn on the lights that lead down the path.