by Mimi Milan
“An attic fan?” Eddie asked, finally dropping his shirt. “I’ve heard of those, but never seen one. Is it on right now?”
She shook her head. “You would know if it was on – it’s incredibly loud. Even I can hear it. We keep it off during the summer days, though. Running it right now would only accomplish sucking in more hot air from outside. We’ll cut it on this evening when the sun begins to set. Then it’ll be nice and cool all night long. It’ll stay that way for a few hours in the morning, too, giving us just enough time to do whatever needs getting done on the inside before heading outdoors to work.”
“Makes sense.” He pointed to the cat she was still holding. “Think he’ll be fine in here? He’s got an awful lot of fur for this kind of heat. Doesn’t it?”
Rachel held the cat up and examined him. She set him down so he could explore his surroundings. He tentatively began doing so, padding across the room and peering out into the hallway. “He’ll be fine. Animals have ways of regulating their bodies. Besides, he’ll probably find a nice, cool spot under a bed or something. Anyway. I’ll just let him do his thing and explore some while I get our coffee.”
She disappeared out of the room and made her way to the kitchen, the cat traipsing along beside her. She pushed through the double doors and found her mother at the stove. “You’re not cooking right now, are you?”
Her mother turned around and waved a scrub brush in the air.
“Oh, I was about to say… it would get ‘too hot to handle’ if that thing was on.”
“Kind of like that guest you’ve got out in the parlor?”
Rachel felt like all the wind had been knocked out of her. She made her way to the coffee machine to fix a fresh pot. “What are you talking about?”
She had purposely turned away from her mother. It was a poor excuse to avoid conversation. Of course, Mrs. Linden wasn’t so easily fooled. Rachel felt two small, but steady hands on her shoulders. She reluctantly turned around.
“I saw you two from the window – the way he moved and then you did, too. It’s nice to see you’ve found someone again… someone with the ability to run off that no good Thompson. Boy’s got bricks for brains.”
Rachel smiled. “Yeah, Andy took off right quick after Eddie came around. Not that he’s mine, though. He’s not my man, mama. He could never be any one woman’s man. Know what I’m saying?”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. He seems nice enough.”
“Well, of course he does. He’s a musician – a rock star… kind of. They’re supposed to be all glitzy and charming. It’s how they woo their audiences… and the umpteen women they bed.”
“What? And you don’t think any other individual could be the same?”
“I don’t know. I guess so.”
“Well, I do know.” Her mother opened a cabinet and pulled out a tray. She set it on the counter. “Your father wasn’t my first choice, you know.”
Rachel perked up. What was her mother saying? Had there been another before her father?
Mrs. Linden saw the unasked question in her daughter’s eyes.
“Oh, yes.” She nodded. “I had quite a few beaus when I was younger. Of course, we called it courting back then. We had very strict rules and I never let anything go further than a few kisses. Still, I was in high demand. Why do you think Andrew Thompson, Senior came around after your father passed?”
Rachel gasped. “You dated him before daddy?”
“Yes, ma’am, I did. Of course, he wasn’t much different back then – still cruel to people less fortunate than himself.” She took a breath and then smiled. “And then there was your father. Oh, my. That man did everything he could think of, trying to win my favor. He’d come over to the house every evening after working these fields – back when they belonged to his daddy – always bringing some small token of his affection. However, he never brought anything quite like that.”
Mrs. Linden rolled her eyes.
Rachel looked down to where her mother gestured. The cat had wrapped himself around her mother’s feet. Rachel groaned. “What am I supposed to do with a cat?”
Her mother chuckled.
“I know. We’ll have to keep an extra eye on him – make sure he doesn’t try to get in the hen house or nothing. You let me worry about him for now, though, and you go on and worry about the other.” She placed a couple of saucers on the tray and added a coffee mug to each. “Take this on out there before the coffee gets cold – and don’t forget the soda cake.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Rachel said and quickly placed a few slices of the Bundt cake on the tray. She lifted it off the counter, turning to her mother. “Thank you, mama.”
Mrs. Linden patted her daughter’s cheek and then shooed her away. “Go on now. I’ve got to find some food for this little fur ball here. Maybe I’ll get to meet your friend in a bit.”
Rachel nodded and made her way back down the hall, towards the front of the house. She reentered the parlor, carrying the tray of early afternoon fixings. “How do you take your coffee?”
Eddie jumped, nearly dropping a framed photo of Rachel during her senior year in high school. He quickly placed it back on the shelf from where he had found it. “Like I like my…” He stopped and cleared his throat. “Blonde and sweet – kind of like café con leche. What about you? How do you take yours?”
She was fairly certain he was about to admit to a preference for a certain type of woman – one she didn’t entirely fit if it were true. Ignoring the unfinished sentence, she set the tray on the table beside the tea set. “Guess I prefer bitter brunettes. I drink my coffee straight.”
Eddie chuckled at the response, but then grimaced. “Straight?”
She laughed. “I know. It took a little getting used to. I grew up watching my father drink it like that, though. I never really thought to ask for it any other way until my mother offered me cream and sugar one day. By then, I’d been drinking it without any doctoring for so long that I had grown accustomed to the taste. Adding cream and sugar to it now actually makes me a little nauseous.”
“Duly noted.”
Rachel mixed in a spoonful of sugar and added a splash of cream before handing him the cup.
“Thanks,” he said and slowly made his way to the settee. He stood beside it, looking out the windows at the flower garden that claimed the front yard. He gave her an appreciative nod. “You have a beautiful home.”
“Thank you,” she replied while picking up her own mug and pouring the black brew into it. She joined him at the window and took a sip. “You know, you never said why it was that you came here anyway… or why you brought me a cat.”
“Like I said, it’s a peace offering. Nothing more than my way of apologizing.”
She weighed his words, wondering how much she should believe them. “Yeah, well, you didn’t have to bring me a cat in order to do that. Some flowers or maybe free tickets to a concert would’ve been just as good.”
Eddie shrugged. “Women like animals. Right? Small and furry from what I know.”
“And how do you know?”
He glanced away and shrugged once again. “My mom always wanted a cat.”
“Really?” Rachel teased him. “Then why didn’t you give it to her?”
A dark cloud crossed his features. He turned away – so much so that she couldn’t make out what he said.
“What?” she asked, slightly annoyed. She planted a free hand on one hip, her head cocked to the side. “Maybe I should start signing in response so you can know my frustration.” Eddie turned back and gave her a puzzled look. She sighed. “I can’t understand what you’re saying if you don’t look at me.”
“Sorry, I didn’t even think about that.” He quickly apologized. He ran a finger along the rim of his coffee mug as though it was a wine glass he could make sing. “Guess that kind of puts things in perspective if I really think about it – makes my past seem a lot easier to deal with. I still don’t like talking about it, though.”
“Why n
ot?” she asked, confused. “What could be so bad? What are you running from?”
He sighed. “My parents. They weren’t exactly model material. Know what I mean?”
“No, actually. I don’t know what you mean at all. If your mother always wanted a cat, then why haven’t you given her one, too?”
His jaws clenched. His stare grew intense and for a moment she wondered if he would actually say something, or avert from revealing anything personal – like their first night together in his dressing room.
He finally spoke.
“I wasn’t raised by my parents.”
She wasn’t quite sure how to take his explanation. Had they passed away – making it too difficult to talk about? Had he been brought up by grandparents instead?
“Then who raised you?” she finally inquired. “That is, if you don’t mind my asking.”
Eyes closed, he inhaled deeply. “I guess you could say the state of California. Again, it isn’t exactly something I like to talk about, though.”
The pain of the past was evident on his face, written in the soft worry lines above his brows and small frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. Dark and brooding, he looked less wild and dangerous than his onstage persona, and much more vulnerable instead. She reached out and laid a gentle hand on his arm, insistent on finding out more about him. “I’m sorry to hear that. Was it like my dad? Did they… pass on?”
Eddie’s head hung low.
“No,” he grounded out. “They were the type that should’ve never had children to begin with. They were too busy doing drugs to actually take care of their kids. So, the state decided they weren’t responsible enough to keep them.”
“Oh, I’m sorry Eddie.” She turned to set the cup on the table and console him when a blur of white suddenly skid past her. Trying to avoid the cat, she stepped back and knocked into Eddie. He reached out in a desperate attempt to grab the settee, but it still didn’t save from the impending mess. Up went the mug of hot coffee, and then down again onto the perfect target – his white t-shirt.
“Yow,” Eddie yelped as the brown liquid ran down the front of him, promising unsightly stains as it quickly soaked into the fabric. He tugged the shirt up, over his head and dabbed at the red, splotchy mark forming on his chest.
It had been a long while since Rachel saw a man disrobe in front of her. She stared at his well-formed pecs, her gaze shamelessly dragging down to the perfect six-pack once again.
Ugh… Get a grip, girl!
She forced herself to look away and caught him watching her with a wicked, little smirk. He knew exactly what he was doing! She snatched the shirt out of his hands. “Give me that. I’ll throw it in the wash before the stain sets.”
She dashed out of the room before he had an opportunity to respond, and rushed to the laundry room. Her mother was already in there, pulling bed sheets out of the washer machine.
“Mom! I need the machine.” She frowned and held up the shirt.
Her mother examined it for a moment, her lips pursed thin.
“Don’t do it,” her daughter warned. “Don’t—”
The older woman burst out laughing. Rachel groaned.
“Honey, I’m sorry. I was just imagining what could have happened.”
“That cat is what happened.”
Her mother laughed again. She took the shirt from her daughter, the mirth slowly dying. “Listen, go on upstairs and see if you can’t find something for your friend to wear while I take care of this.”
“Thanks, mama.” Rachel gave the woman a peck on the check and hurried back out again. She made a stop by her youngest brother’s old room, hoping to find that he had left something behind. She finally located an old tee that read, “Farmers do it best,” and made her way back down to the parlor.
“It’s not the greatest thing I could find, but it’ll have to—,” she entered the room and abruptly stopped. “What are you doing?”
Eddie turned, a huge grin on his face. The cat was draped across his shoulders like a long shawl, purring as Eddie stroked the top of his head. “Man, this is one jazzy cat. Look at him – all laid back, falling asleep on my shoulders like he belongs here.”
Rachel snorted.
“You look ridiculous,” she playfully said. The cat lifted his head to meow. “How about I take the cat and you take the shirt?”
They made the exchange. He glanced at the shirt before tugging it over his head. “Farmers do it best, huh? We’ll have to see about that.”
Rachel’s face burned with embarrassment. She tried to hand the cat back, but Eddie shook his head. “No, it’s your turn. I have to get going.”
“So soon?” She hoped the incident with the coffee hadn’t upset him, and that’s when she realized she was in trouble. It was only yesterday when she learned that he had chosen her out of the crowd for less-than-honorable intentions. Now she was asking him to stay? She must be losing her mind!
Eddie stepped closer, a playful look crossing his face. His voice grew dangerously low. “I’m sure I could find plenty of reasons to stay longer.” Rachel’s eyes widened and he stepped back. “But I have practice this afternoon. Besides, we’ll see each other again soon.”
“We will?”
“Of course.” He winked at her and then made his way to the front door. He paused, a coy smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “After all, you need to return my shirt.”
She quickly followed after him, watching as he made his way down the front steps and across the yard. “Right. Uh… where should I return it?”
“I’ll text you the address,” he yelled back and climbed into the tour bus, leaving her with both a cat and storm of emotions – neither of which she knew exactly what to do with.
7
Jimmy found a chair beside Eddie and listened to him recant everything that had passed at Rachel’s house. His manager laughed a loud hoot that echoed through the studio’s front lobby. “I told you a cat was a bad idea.”
“Man, c’mon.” Eddie glanced up from the list of tracks they planned on recording. “You were the one who told me to get it. What was it you said? ‘All dames like something cute and fluffy. Think animal.’ Remember?”
“Yeah, but I was thinking a stuffed toy. You know, like the ones they sell at the store with some roses and chocolate – not a real, live pet. You came up with that kind of brilliance all by yourself.”
“Then why didn’t you say anything to stop me?” Eddie griped.
Jimmy raised his hands in defense. “What was I supposed to do? You had already gotten the cat… and there was no way that thing was sticking around here. I’m allergic to the little beasts.”
Eddie rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well, I still think they’ll make a great team… eventually. Anyway. Did you already do the sound check? I want to be ready to record as soon as she gets here.”
Jimmy shook his head. “That’s a pretty gutsy move there, boss. You don’t even know if she wants to record with you. To answer your question, though, yes. With the hourly we’re paying on this place, you best believe I’ve got all my T’s crossed. All the equipment is primed.”
“Good… and to address your concern, I know she’ll want in once she gets here. You saw how she looked up there on stage. She was a complete natural – born to sing.”
Jimmy shrugged. “Yeah, she did look pretty good up there. Maybe even better than you.”
Eddie scowled. “Seriously?”
“Hey, she’s a pretty face with a nice set of pipes and curves in all the right places.”
“And I thought I was the one with the roving eye,” Eddie grumbled.
“Eddie, what do you want from me? I’m still a man with two good eyes. Don’t worry about me honing in on your turf, though… Yeah, don’t give me that look. I know what’s going on in that lovesick head. Just make sure this recording is as far as the two of you go. I don’t want to have a mess on my hands to clean up after you break some disabled girl’s heart.”
Eddie rolled his e
yes. “That’s a real nice way of putting it. And besides, it’s not my fault those other women fell a little harder than I did. I warned them upfront that we were just having a good time.”
“Yeah, okay.” Jimmy waved away the lame excuse and started scrolling through his cell phone, mumbling something about “Mr. Heartbreaker” under his breath.
“Hey, I heard that.” Eddie sat back in his chair, his arms crossed in defiance. “It’s not like that with Rachel anyway. She’s different.”
“Qué cosa de Rachel?”
Startled, Eddie jumped up out of his seat while Jimmy nearly slipped out of his and onto the floor. A tall, dark woman stood before them. Beside her was Rachel, arms crossed with a look of expectation to the woman’s unanswered question. Eddie quickly recovered.
“Uh, hello. I didn’t know Rachel was bringing a friend with her.” He gave Rachel a quick wink before offering his hand to the other woman. “Name’s Eddie.”
“Yeah, I know.” She placed her palm in his and briefly shook. “Me llamo Luciana.”
Rachel quickly spoke up. “Yes. Where are my manners? Eddie, this is Lucy. I met her through her husband down at the VFW. Lucy, I don’t think I need to tell you this is Eddie Rivera.”
“Nope,” Luciana shook her head. “No intro needed for one of the up and coming artists in Latin rock. After all, I’m the friend who introduced her to your music.”
“Nice. Well, thank you for that. Sounds like I wouldn’t have met my new backup vocalist without your help,” Eddie said.
“Backup vocalist?” Rachel asked, approaching both him and Jimmy. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “What are you talking about?”
Eddie approached her, eyes pleading.
“I wanted to ask you yesterday, but was afraid you’d say no after that fiasco over lunch.” He brought his hands together in a way he had only done when one foster parent had taught him how to pray. He made a ‘puppy dog’ face. “Please sing with me.”
Surprised, Rachel glanced over at Luciana to gauge her opinion. Her friend eagerly nodded with excitement. Rachel looked back at Eddie, his bottom lip still hanging far out. She bit her own in an attempt to fight back a smile. “Don’t do that. You look like a stray begging to be taken in.”
