Sunshine and Whiskey: A Garden Falls, TN Romance

by Allie Kay

  Nodding, I asked about the rest.

  Throwing out another number, the older man told me he would work up a proposal and get back to me the next day with exact numbers. As we shook hands again, the contractor said, "Look, this is not my business. Feel free to tell me to bugger off and not come back, but you obviously are still in love with that girl. If you think you could work it out, give her a call. Life is too short to not be with the one you love. Just a piece of advice from an old idiot."

  With a slight shake of my head, I responded in a low voice, "It's not that simple. She's… her dad… he…" Trailing off, I looked away for a moment before turning back to the older man. "Her dad hates me and was going to cut her out of his life. How could I expect her to stay with me knowing that she lost her dad, her family, because of being with me? I just didn't expect life without her would hurt so much… God, look at me, pouring my heart out to a total stranger. What the hell's wrong with me?”

  “Well, from the perspective of an overprotective dad, give him time. He might come around.”

  “I doubt it. But, anyways, thanks for your time today. I'm sorry for getting all personal."

  Reaching out and clapping me on the shoulder, the contractor said, "I'll be in touch."

  After getting a couple other estimates, I decided to go with Richland. While they were not the least expensive option, Johnny had made a good impression, and I felt like they were the best company for the job.

  I was impressed by how efficient they were. Richland Construction had a crew out within the week. A roofing crew ripped off the old shingles and laid a new roof in a single day. The chipping paint on the porch was removed and a fresh coat put on. New windows went in. It already looked like a different house.

  I busied myself with unpacking books and shelving them in the library. As I picked one up and lifted it toward a shelf, a picture fluttered out. Squatting down to grab it, I gasped as I remembered the day. A photographer at that festival Talia dragged me to had snapped the shot. My head was bent down toward hers for a kiss. The angle showed Talia's face as she leaned up toward me, her eyes full of love and joy. My hand had been wrapped in her glorious red hair. The camera shutter captured the perfect moment. When I saw the photo, I knew I had to have it. Other than a couple quick snaps with my cell phone, this was the only picture I had of Talia. I sank to the floor staring at it, my throat tightening as I fought back a sob.

  "Guess that's the girl you said loved this room?" a voice called from behind me. I looked up to see the contractor leaning against the door frame.

  "Yeah." I handed the picture up to the older man. "That's her."

  Johnny stared at the photo for a minute before saying, "She's beautiful. I can see how a young man could get so tore up over her." He handed it back with care. "We got an issue I need to talk to you about."

  Running a finger over the photograph, I laid it down on one of the bookshelves and followed the contractor out of the room. The issue ended up being relatively minor in my opinion; the shutters had come in with a slightly different style than I had ordered. I didn't care enough to send them back, so the crew got busy and installed them. I was happy with the progress being made on the house. The crew at Richland Construction was doing a great job. If only other aspects of my life were going so well…

  33

  Talia

  The weeks following Sean's exit from my life were torture. I wasn't sleeping, I couldn't eat, and the smug look on my father's face at his success in breaking up my relationship broke my heart even more than losing Sean. Completely shattered, I decided it was time to look for my own apartment.

  I'd been living at home since Caleb and I had broken up. Trying to save money. But I couldn't stay there anymore. I was sure this was what Sean had been trying to stop by breaking up with me, but the animosity rose like an invisible wall between me and my dad and I just couldn't bear to stay in his home any longer.

  Since retail didn’t pay enough for me to afford a nice place alone, I would need a roommate. When Zane mentioned he had an extra bedroom, I jumped at the chance to move in. My room was smaller than I’d had at my parents, but it was mine alone and I didn’t have to see my father’s self-satisfied looks every day.

  Living apart for a bit gave me the distance from my father needed to see his true motivations. While I didn't agree with his choices, Daddy loved me and in his own misguided way was trying to protect me. What I couldn't figure out was why he had such an instant dislike for Sean.

  About a month after the breakup, I invited my dad out for coffee. He jumped at the chance to see me. Daddy looked uncomfortable when I asked about his hostility toward Sean. It was an improvement over his normal anger when Sean was mentioned, so I was finally hopeful of getting some straight answers.

  "Talia, I… this may be hard for you to hear. I was engaged to another woman before I met your mother. Tammy left me a mere month before our wedding for a bartender who reminds me a lot of Sean. He was a big, muscular guy. I heard later that Tammy married him and ended up leaving him after he beat her so badly she was hospitalized. I was married to your mother by then, and we were expecting Zane. I've never looked for her. It wouldn't be fair to your mother."

  I sat in stunned silence listening to my father vocalize the reasons behind his instant dislike. I had never expected it was related to a broken heart.

  When he trailed off, I replied, "But Daddy, Sean isn't that guy who took Tammy from you. You can see the difference, can't you?"

  "It's not as easy as just seeing the difference, honey. That man represents everything that a father does not want for his daughter. He's a bartender. Not only that, he's a former addict with a criminal record. Yes, I know about his past. And his record too. Even though he didn't mention it and neither did you. What father would be okay with that?"

  "You don't see him like I do. What hurts me the most is that you wouldn't even be polite to him for my sake. I love him, Daddy. I love Sean. That man treated me better in the short time we were together than all of my other boyfriends combined. You know how he opened doors for me? Other than you, or an occasional random stranger, no guy has ever done that for me. If I'm being honest, half the time Caleb expected me to open the door for him. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I actually enjoyed that stuff." I looked out the window, eyes filling with tears.

  My dad sighed and reached across the table to take my hand. "I want you to be happy, honey. I really don't think he's the guy for you though. Have you heard from him at all since that night?"

  Indicating a negative through the shake of my head, I continued staring out the window. A lone tear fell from my eye and rolled down my face.

  Changing the subject, my dad said, "You need to get out more, princess. Your mom has big plans for the town picnic. She expects you to be there. You know how she gets."

  After some coaxing, I relented in the end. Since my siblings were being pushed to go to the picnic too, it might be fun. With all the people downtown for the fireworks display, I figured that the chances of bumping in to Sean would be slim as he would be busy at the club.

  Leaving the coffee shop, I decided to do a little shopping. I went by the bookstore, but that reminded me too much of Sean. I still had a few books of his that I would need to return to him. However, I wasn't sure I could see him yet without bursting into tears. Even after a month, I still missed him so much it physically hurt.

  Claire had been so busy with work that I’d barely seen her. She finally came over to see my new place. When I opened the door, Claire shook her head and hugged me so tight I couldn't breathe. "Are you even eating? Girl. I still can't believe he'd just walk away. He seemed so very into you.”

  "He hasn't called. Not a text. Or even a Facebook message. Nothing." Unbidden, tears filled my eyes again. I couldn’t seem to stop crying over him. If he’d been more of a dick, if he’d treated me bad in any way, I could have gotten over him. But I still ached for him. I still woke up with him in my thoughts, and slept with him in my dreams.
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  "Then screw him. Let's find you a new man."

  I laughed through my tears. "No. I don't want a new man. Not now. I just can't…" I trailed off and ran to the bathroom.

  Claire looked at me in concern when I came out wiping my mouth, but didn't say anything. I felt Claire's eyes watching me rather than the chick flick we’d put on, but chose to ignore it. When Claire went to go home, she nudged me and told me to make a doctor's appointment. I ignored the comment and went to bed still queasy.

  I spent the next week hugging the toilet, waiting for the waves of nausea to pass. I'd never believed people could die from broken hearts. But losing Sean hit me pretty hard. I could hear my brother talking on the phone. From his side of the conversation, I was pretty sure it was our mother he was talking to. Zane was telling her how I was sick. Again. It didn't surprise me when Mom waited outside the bathroom when the door opened.

  She took one look at me and asked when I was going to go to the doctor. "This is more than a stomach virus, sweetie. I think you should make an appointment."

  "Already did. Can't get in until Tuesday," I told my mother as I flopped face first onto my bed. Squeezing my eyes shut, I waited for the new round of nausea to pass.

  "Do you think you can make it to the town picnic? I was hoping to have all my children with us today. You know, it's tradition," Mom said as she rubbed a gentle pattern over my back.

  "I'll try, Mom. I can’t handle fried chicken though, for sure."

  "I'll pack you some easy-on-the-tummy foods. Think about it, okay? Zane and I are going to go over early so as to get a good spot. Your dad has to make some calls and such for work, if you want to ride over with him later?"

  I didn't move for the next couple hours. Not until Dad let himself in, calling, "Hey princess, you feel up to going? Your mom said I should bully you into it, but I don’t want you puking all over my truck. You aren’t still puking, are you?"

  I rose, telling Dad to give me a few minutes. I dressed quickly in a soft shirt and shorts. The outfit was quite a bit looser than the last time I'd worn it. I'd been sick for a couple weeks now though. Mom was right, this wasn't a virus.

  I hopped in the cab of Dad's truck. When he turned away from town, I asked where we were going. Dad replied, "I told Mike that we'd give him a ride. His car's in the shop and he doesn't live far from here."

  Eyeing my father suspiciously, I didn't say anything. When we got to his employee's place, I had to slide to the middle of the single cab truck. Dad introduced me to Mike, who somehow instantly set me on edge.

  Mike smiled as he climbed in the truck next to me. His long legs took up a good bit of space, and I had to squeeze over close to my father to get away from his bulk. We hadn't made it a mile down the road before he'd stretched an arm back behind me, his hand tugging at a lock of my hair. I gathered my hair up and leaned forward away from his arm. He pulled his arm back and laid his palm flat on my thigh and squeezed. I squirmed in frustration, but space was tight in the single cab truck so I couldn't really avoid his touch. My dad kept looking at me oddly whenever I squirmed closer to him, but he didn’t say a word. When Dad brought the truck to a stop downtown, I hopped out quickly.

  Big, fluffy clouds filled the sky. A light wind blew in from the east, carrying with it the scents of the typical festival fare; the sweet smells of funnel cakes and kettle corn mingled with the meaty charcoal essence of hamburgers. When I walked into the town square to find the rest of my family, there was already a small crowd there—mothers and fathers with small children on blankets, a group of pre-teen boys gathered around a picnic table, some older men at the chess tables at the center. Every generation was represented in the grassy expanse between the timeworn storefronts of downtown.

  Amidst children laughing and vendors hawking their wares—be it food or souvenirs—I spotted my mother. Mom had spread a couple of large blankets beneath the branches of one of the large trees that edged the square, giving us plenty of room to stretch out and nap under the shelter of the magnificent oak after lunch.

  Stopping to speak to a few people as I crossed the square, I made my way over to the spot my mother had claimed. As I arrived, my brother walked up from the other direction carrying a large cooler that, knowing my mother as I did, was full of food and drinks.

  Zane pulled me in for a warm hug after putting down his burden. "You feeling any better?"

  I shrugged. "I'm not hurling at the moment, so I suppose."

  "Saw Claire earlier. She said to tell you hi and told me I needed to make you go get checked out." He looked me over. “You have been sick for a while now.”

  "I've already made an appointment. No need to go all big brother on me."

  Zane grinned. "Comes with the territory."

  "So what else did you and Claire talk about?"

  "You know, the usual. I asked her out, she listed all the things she'd rather do instead—like have a root canal—and pretended to hate me, all the while not taking her eyes off me. I'm wearing her down..."

  I shook my head. I couldn't see Claire dating Zane. He wasn't preppy enough for Claire. But odder things had happened.

  I looked around for Karly but didn't see her.

  Mom guessed who I was searching for and said, "Karly's working at the moment, but will be over after her shift."

  I helped set out the food from the cooler. Fragrant fried chicken, buttery soft biscuits, and mustardy potato salad were among the scrumptious treasures I pulled from the insulated box, as well as a smaller plate with a grilled chicken breast and rice that I knew was for me. My dad and brother crowded around, playfully snatching containers of food from my hands while adding more and more to their overfilled plates.

  Dad invited Mike to join us. He'd made me uncomfortable in the truck, but since we'd arrived at the picnic he had kept his distance. He made himself a plate and sat down on the opposite side of the blanket.

  Settling down to enjoy my meal, I felt blessed to be surrounded by such a loving family. Next to me, my parents sat close to each other, whispering low as they ate, very much in love after all these years. Zane tossed a chicken bone at me, his smile innocent when I looked his way. He nodded toward the sappy display our parents were putting on. But his smile was as big as mine.

  My father leaned over and kissed my mother gently, and I was reminded of Sean. The gentleness in his kiss, the loving way he would touch my cheek before he kissed me, all came back. I had been doing my best to put him out of my mind, although I had not been very successful. It had been several weeks since I had seen him now, over a month since I'd felt his lips on mine, but I still thought of him daily.

  Mike interrupted my increasingly depressing line of thought when he asked if I wanted to go for a walk around the square. I said no. Despite how he’d backed off a bit, something about Mike bugged me.

  Mom tapped my foot. "Talia, honey, I think a little fresh air, a bit of exercise, might do you good."

  "I agree with your mom. You're pale. Take a little walk."

  I closed my eyes for a moment to give myself a pep talk, telling myself that if we were in the square in front of all these people, it would be fine. I had no reason to believe that I wouldn't be safe, just a vague discomfort about Mike that I couldn’t pin a definite cause on. And I was somewhat certain that I could keep my lunch down. So, thanks to my parents prompting, I reluctantly agreed to go with him for a short walk.

  Mike extended a hand to help me from the ground. I tugged my shorts back down and we set off for a stroll. Vendors edged the square. I stopped at several tables to browse at the jewelry for sale. Mike made noises of impatience when I stopped at the fourth such table, but he didn't say anything. After I had perused that table, Mike asked if I would mind walking around the vendors where we could talk easier. I nodded my assent and we made our way through the crowd to the cobblestone walkways in front of the Victorian era buildings that lent character to the downtown area. The historical district was always my favorite part of town.

&nbs
p; After a short walk with a lot of awkward small talk sprinkled with some pretty invasive questions from Mike, I started back toward my family. The disapproval on Mike's face disturbed me. The look on his face triggered a feeling of déjà vu. I knew him from somewhere, but I couldn't think from where. Or maybe he just reminded me of someone I knew. Something about him made me seriously anxious though and I couldn't get back to my family fast enough.

  When we reached my family, Dad started a conversation with Mike. "Johnny wants us to stop by a client's house a few blocks from here later. He said you'd worked on the roof over there? Old house in the historic district? Apparently, the guy is saying one of the new windows was leaking during the rain yesterday, so we need to look and see if it's installed right or if the window is just messed up from the factory. See if we can't get it fixed up for him. This guy's investing a lot in this old house so we want to make it right."

  I helped Mom pack some things up before leaving with Dad and Mike. I was tired and my once again queasy stomach said no thanks to fireworks. I’d hoped Dad would drop me off first, but my apartment was across town and the house closer. Mike kept his hands to himself, at least, but let his thigh lean against my bare leg.

  Mike gave directions to the house. We pulled into the driveway and I thought I might start hyperventilating. It was the house I'd looked at with Sean—the one that I'd thought we’d grow old in together—and that was his car in the drive. Dad knocked, but Sean didn't answer. Calling his partner Johnny, Dad got the code to the keypad they’d placed on the door and he and Mike ran in to check the leaky window. I sat in the truck waiting for them to come back. I couldn't believe Sean had bought our house without me.

  When Dad came back out, he looked at me and asked, "What's wrong? You look paler than before."

  How could I answer that? I finally mumbled something about Sean buying that house and my dad turned purple at hearing Sean's name. He dropped me off without saying another word. Mike didn't say anything else either.