He looked over at me and smiled. I smiled back, face burning at the idea that his words were meant for me and not the music.
When we pulled into the driveway, the lights were off in the house. I tried to shake off my fear of being caught as fat raindrops started slapping the windshield. This was the riskiest part of the night. I knew Mom would be gone when Tyler picked me up, but as far as returning, I had no idea what time she’d be back. Tyler hurried around the car and opened my door. When I stepped out, the smell of the paper mill lingered in the air, as lightning illuminated our path to the back steps.
I turned around at the front door. “Mom might be inside.”
“I understand,” he said. “Miss Elsie, I’ve had a wonderful time with you tonight.”
“Me too,” I said. “Thank you for everything.”
Lightning crackled across the sky again, as if our energy shot straight to the heavens. He leaned down and swept his lips over mine, then slowly pulled away just enough that I could still feel his breath on my mouth. Tension brewed as he paused and held his lips so close... yet not close enough to touch mine. Rain started to pour, pounding the ground, bouncing off the metal overhang. Then, he came in strong like the sound of the rumbling thunder, kissing me deep, sending currents through my entire body. I wanted him more than the earth needed the rain. His musky scent, his sweet taste, the sound of his eager breath. I ran my hands through his hair as he pushed his hands over the curves of my hips. Slowing our rhythm, he breathed me in and pulled away.
Ever the gentleman, he stepped back and ran both hands through his hair.
“I have to go now, or I’ll never leave. Thank you for an amazing night.”
“Thank you.” I touched my tingling lips, unable to control my smile.
“Goodnight,” he said, looking at me like he wanted to say something more profound. He shook it off with a wave goodbye and stepped away, but then he turned around. “You’re meeting me tomorrow, right?”
“Of course.”
“I’ll text you when I know what time.”
I nodded. He took two long strides back to me, grasped my face in both hands, and pressed his lips hard against mine. I clutched his shoulders. He held steady like he couldn’t let me go. My heartbeat erupted in my chest. I touched his smooth face. He didn’t move, and then slowly... he pulled away. Still cupping my face, he stared deep in my eyes.
“I cannot get enough of you,” he whispered. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Tyler.” I said, quivering underneath his touch.
He stepped away, then gracefully moved through the rain and climbed into his car.
I wanted to scream, “I love you!” I wanted to run to him, jump in the passenger’s seat and shout, “Go, drive as fast as you can!” Instead, I watched him back out and disappear down the road. He’d stolen my heart, and I didn’t have a clue what to do about it.
Thinking I’d pulled off the perfect night, I shut the door with a quiet click and started to tiptoe through the dark living room.
“You’re so busted,” I heard from the shadows.
I gasped.
“Mom came home two hours ago,” Mark said.
“Oh my gosh, you scared me,” I whispered. “Where is she?”
He snickered. “She went to bed.”
“I wanna talk, but let me change my clothes first.”
A few minutes later, I whisper-shouted for him to come to my room.
“Okay, tell me what she said,” I insisted, as I shut the door behind him.
“She just wanted to know where you were. I had a feeling you were out with your mystery person, so I told her you were with Josie, or whatever her name is... ”
“Did she believe you?”
“Yeah, I think so.” He shrugged. “She looked like shit. Who is he, anyway? Was he driving a freaking Mercedes?”
“Keep your voice down.” I flopped on my bed, crisscrossing my legs. “Mark, you can’t say anything to anyone. I’ll tell Mom soon, but not yet.”
“Why would she care? What, did she keep you locked up while I was gone?”
“I can’t talk about it, so forget it. Anyway, wouldn’t it make your day to know Mom tortured me while you were in Illinois.”
“Why are you being such a bitch? Whatever, you owe me for not busting you out. Don’t forget it.” He turned to walk out.
“Mark, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out that way. Seriously, I can’t talk about it. He’s a good guy, believe me.”
Mark stopped at the door, shifting his stance back and forth. I wasn’t sure if he would accept my apology. No matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t get back to where we were before the accident. He’d been my buddy my whole life, and I genuinely missed my friend. He turned around and let out another anxious huff.
“I’m sorry I left you in the truck that night, Elsie. I never should’ve taken you along. But you... you screwed me when you ran off. What the hell were you thinking?”
Looking down at my hands, I had no idea what to say. I never thought he’d get in that kind of trouble. It was a survival instinct for me, but it ended up ruining his opportunity for a great education – an education that he truly deserved. Regardless, I had no idea he had been messing around with drugs. That part was his to own.
“I’m sorry, too, Mark. I was scared. I thought I could find the marina and call Mom or something. I trusted you.”
“Yeah, I know. I need to forget about it,” he said. “Don’t worry about Mom. She was beat when she got home. She said they’re transferring Dad to Nashville, but she doesn’t want us to go.” He shrugged. “I guess we’re on our own next week.”
“Okay,” I said. “Thanks for covering for me.”
He nodded and shut the door.
After a perfect evening, I should’ve known I’d come home to terrible news. For the hospital to transfer Dad to a cancer center, that meant the doctors here had done what they could. I wanted to talk to Mom, but waking her up would’ve been selfish. I laid back on my pillow. Butterflies swarmed my belly. I’d have to clean houses for her all week, including the Vaughns’ house. Resigning to my fate, I rolled on my side and thought about Tyler until I fell asleep.
Chapter 12
I woke up the next morning to the sound of my phone
Tyler: Shiloh at 4? Meet me by the big cemetery
Me: ok c u then
I rolled out of bed and headed to the kitchen. Mom stood at the sink, washing the dishes.
“Good morning,” she said over her shoulder. “Did you and Josie have a good time? I didn’t even hear you come home.”
“Who’s Josie?” I asked. Oh no, Mark told her the wrong name. “Oh, you mean Jenna. Yeah, we had a nice time. Went out and ate, that’s about all.”
Damn, the lie just grew. I held my breath, hoping she’d drop the subject. She turned around and leaned against the counter, drying her hands with a dishtowel.
“I’m leaving at three-thirty for Nashville. They’re transferring Dad to Sarah Cannon Cancer Center, so I’d have to be there all week. I spoke with Mrs. Vaughn this morning and told her everything about your dad’s condition. The schedule’s simple enough. Vaughns’ from nine until two, Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Be professional and dress nicely.” She gave me her “mom” warning look. “Don’t go in your sweatpants and Bears shirt, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Mrs. Baltic’s on Tuesday, and Mr. Smith’s house on Thursday. I arranged for separate days so you don’t become overwhelmed.”
“What about your other houses?”
“Everyone’s been amazing. Mrs. Ackerman and the Johnsons offered to pay me even if I can’t make it. I hate to accept it, but they insisted. Such kind people.”
Tears welled in her eyes. She looked exhausted, and I wasn’t sure how long she could do everything on her own. What if she wanted to go back to Illinois? What an awful thought. I didn’t want her to resort to such a crazy idea, which meant, I had to stay strong for her.
Moving across the kitchen, I held out my arms. She clung to me as we embraced.
“It’s okay, Mom. I can handle the work. Mrs. Vaughn can’t be that bad. No worse than Mr. Smith.”
She stepped back with a concerned look. “He really bothers you, doesn’t he?”
“He’s creepy.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way. That’s why I moved him to Thursday. He meets his sister for breakfast. If you get there by nine, he’s usually at the restaurant until eleven or so.”
“Okay.”
She gently patted my face and then kissed my cheek. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“It’s okay. What do you think will happen with Dad?”
“I honestly don’t know. They’ve done everything they can for him here. If this doesn’t help, I guess he comes home.”
I narrowed my eyes. “And then what?”
“We take care of him. Well... until, you know.”
Her words stole my breath. I couldn’t imagine what that situation would feel like.
“Will they let us do that?”
“Of course. People die in the comfort of their homes all the time.” Her tone softened like the idea tore her up inside, too. She started to walk away. “I need to start packing.”
“Let me help.”
We spent the morning together, drinking coffee and chatting. Around noon, she decided to make stuffed green peppers for lunch, so we headed out to the field behind the house.
The sweltering midday sun beat down on us. I stopped at the edge of the field and slumped my shoulders. Weeds. So many weeds. All of our hard work had been taken over by buckhorn and bull thistles, and many of the peppers were already turning red. We needed to start picking soon.
“What are we going to do about the harvest?” I asked.
“I have no idea. I’ll let them go if I have to,” Mom said as she scanned the field. “Picking five acres isn’t a small job. I just can’t worry about it right now.”
There had to be another way.
“Dad and I worked our butts off last spring,” I said. “I’ll talk to Mark. There has to be something we can do.”
Dad and I had walked the rows for countless hours over the early summer days, and because the peppers are a food product, we couldn’t use pesticides or herbicides to combat insects and weeds. Tending to each row, we carried along our pointed hoes, clearing out anything that trespassed on our potential harvest. Staring across the once pristine field, remorse and guilt filled me for neglecting our hard work.
“It is what it is,” Mom said.
At three-thirty, Mark helped us pack her bags in the car. We reassured her that we’d be fine. She hugged us goodbye and waved from the car window as she drove away.
I hurried inside and changed clothes, with just enough time to make it to Shiloh by four.
After I parked the truck, I waited for Tyler, watching the cars pass by. Dread filled me as I plotted my day at the estate. I hated the idea of him seeing me as the cleaning lady again. Maybe he would run most of the morning, and I could slip out before he got back. I could hide in the basement most of the day, doing laundry. Maybe I should just tell him. No, that wasn’t what I wanted either. What I wanted was to remain as the girl in the little black dress and overpriced heels.
A black Cadillac slowed in front of the truck, bringing me out of my internal banter. It stopped in the middle of the road, then the tinted window rolled down. A square-faced, heavy-set man held up his phone like he was going to take a picture. I glanced in the rearview mirror. There was a monument in the courtyard behind me. He must be taking a photo of that. I looked back at the guy. We made eye contact as a light flashed from his device. A chill through me. Then, he rolled up his window and sped away.
Something caught the corner of my eye. I gasped. Tyler. He was standing outside the truck. I turned off the engine and climbed out.
“You scared me,” I said.
“You look good in a truck.”
I gave him a quick kiss, forgetting all about the man in the Cadillac.
He took my hand in his and asked, “Do you have to be anywhere?”
“No.”
“Let’s check out the river then. It’s too hot to jog.”
We walked across the parking lot to a monument of two cannons. A sign marked the area “The Left Flank.” I followed him down a steep slope to the rocky shoreline. Kneeling, I ran my fingers through the cool water as Tyler sat on the ground next to me and rubbed his hand up and down my back.
“How’s your dad doing?” he asked.
I sat down and laid my head on his shoulder, staring across the river.
“Not good.”
“I’m sorry. You okay?”
“No.”
“You feel like talkin’ about it?”
“Not so much.”
His arm tightened around me and he pressed his head to mine. As if our touch merged into one, I sank into him. Complete. Whole. Fulfilled. No one had ever made me feel like I’d been missing a piece of myself. We stared across the river in silence, listening to the water whoosh to the shore.
“Do you have a heavy load this semester?” I asked.
“Yeah. Sixteen credit hours. I’m not looking forward to it.”
“Do you like your classes?”
“They’re okay. Mostly advanced business and math.”
“You’re like physics-and-calculus smart, aren’t you?”
“No. Well, yeah, I’ve taken them. Did you ever mail in your application to the art school?”
“No. It’s in the car. I keep forgetting about it.”
He recoiled. “Why haven’t you sent it?”
“I just said, I keep forgetting. I’ve been busy.”
“You’re procrastinating.”
“Whatever.” I scooted away to look him in the eyes. “I don’t know if I can go anyway. I can’t just leave Mom and Dad. I have no idea what’s going to happen before I graduate.”
“No one knows what’s going to happen at any given minute—”
“Circumstances, right?” I scoffed. My circumstances sucked, and he knew it.
“Yes. Let me help you.”
“Whatever you want. It probably doesn’t matter anyway.”
He hopped up and held out his hands. I accepted, letting him pull me to my feet.
“Sorry,” I said. “I’m not seeing the brighter side of things today.”
“I can tell,” he said, brushing the back of his fingers over my cheek. “Don’t let what’s going on make you cynical. You know you can handle all the bullshit that’s thrown at you.” He kissed my forehead. “Be confident in who you are. You’ve helped me have more confidence, do that for yourself, too.”
“You needed more confidence?” I said in a dry tone. “That doesn’t seem possible.”
“Yeah, well... You’ve helped me more than you understand.” He leaned in and gave me a long kiss.
For the next few hours, we strolled by the river, making our way back to the National Cemetery. Wandering past the limestone grave markers, we’d gotten on the subject of how Dad’s tumor grew and why it affected his motor skills. Tyler started rattling off about how the brain worked and communicated with the rest of the body; neurons, neurotransmitters, nervous systems, comparing the effects of the tumor to other diseases.
After he concluded his point, I said, “I can barely comprehend everything you just said. You’re freaking brilliant.”
A cool evening breeze replaced the heat of the day as the sky changed to amber and pink.
Tyler placed his hand on my arm. “Elsie, I have something to tell you. I probably should’ve said something already. But—”
“Excuse me!” A deep voice echoed through the air.
We looked toward the sound. A stout man, wearing a black uniform, was walking our way.
“Y’all’s gonna have to head out for the night,” he said. “Park closes at sunset.”
Damn. The guy squashed my progress. Tyler waved.
“Sorry, sir. We’ll get out of here.”
The man approached with a proffered hand. Tyler stepped toward him, and they started talking. I followed, pretending to listen, smiling and nodding like I cared, as he rambled on about vandals invading the park.
I shifted my weight from side to side, pressing out fake smiles. I needed to talk to Tyler. What was he getting ready to tell me?
“Well, y’all enjoy the evening,” the man finally said, walking away.
“You too, sir,” Tyler said, and then he turned to me. “Jeez, he can talk.”
“What were you going to tell me back there?”
“Ah.” He waved his hand. “It’s no big deal.”
“It seemed like a big deal.”
“It’s not. I hate to end the evening, but Mom and Dad are leaving tomorrow. I told them I’d be back early.”
“Okay.”
“See you in the morning?”
I grinned. “Maybe.”
“You’d better be here.”
Chapter 13
The next morning, we met at seven and jogged for a couple of miles. He stopped only to give me a kiss, then went on to finish his workout.
As I drove out of the park, I passed the Cadillac I saw the day before. We made eye contact through the windshields. A chill ran over my skin again. Why would he be back at eight-thirty on a Monday morning? Something’s not right.
But as I drove toward Savannah, the man in the Caddy became irrelevant as regret overwhelmed me. I should’ve told Tyler I’d be at their house. If I could make it through the day without getting caught, then I would tell him I’d be there on Wednesday. Avoiding the subject felt right, yesterday. Today, it felt like a total mistake. What in the world was I thinking?
I drove to the gas station off Main Street, hurried to the bathroom, and changed into khakis and a white button up blouse. Minutes later, I pulled into the driveway of the Vaughns’. A black BMW sat where Tyler normally parked. I turned off the ignition and gasped. The truck! Tyler already saw I was driving it.
“Damn it!” I smacked the steering wheel with my palm, then looked in the mirror and took a deep breath. “You can do this,” I said to my reflection. “Just relax.”
Life Happens on the Stairs Page 10
