The Way We Fell

by Mj Fields

  “You’ve been hit by a car, lass.”

  I stand anyway and look over my body, seeing no signs of blood and nothing else aside from a muffler burn that is too awfully painful. “Played field hockey most of my life; I’ve been hit harder than that. I just need to get back to the hotel.”

  “You need to be going to the hospital.”

  “I’m okay.” I force a smile, turn my back to him, and look around.

  “At least let me give you a ride.”

  Walking into the hotel, I see Dana and Moe sitting in the lobby and try to avoid them, but when Colman, the driver, calls after me, they look up. Then, when he approaches me, I see them following suit.

  “I really think you should go to the hospital.”

  “What?” Moe asks, hurrying toward me.

  “It was just a bump. I wasn’t run over.”

  “How the hell did that happen?” Dana gasps.

  “I wasn’t paying attention and—”

  “Where were you all by yourself?” Moe interrupts me.

  Oh God.

  “Just went for a walk,” I half-lie … to a minister. “And I’m a little sore, so I’m gonna head up.”

  “Kendall.” Moe shakes her head.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Well, I’m going with you. You may have a concussion,” Moe calls out as she follows me to the elevator banks.

  “I’d really rather be alone.” My voice cracks.

  “Not a chance, lass,” I hear Dana say from behind me as well.

  In my head, I’m screaming to be left alone, but when I turn around and watch them walk into the elevator with concern in their eyes, I know there’s a better chance of forgetting my time in Dublin, tainted by Ben Sawyer, than them leaving me alone.

  When the door opens on our floor, they step out, and I follow.

  Batting the tears away, I try to hide behind my hair, but they both fall to one side of me and wrap an arm around me.

  Moe sighs. “I think you should go to the hospital, Kendall.”

  “I’d just like a shower. Maybe a bath.” I fumble through my crossbody to find my room key. “Maybe to just go home.”

  With a heavy heart and my feverish head laying against the cool glass window of the plane, I watch as the tiny dancing lights below get closer and closer as we descend.

  I pull out my iPod and, in my head, ask when this pain will go away. Then I close my eyes and hit play. “Linger” by The Cranberries plays.

  Of course it does.

  After a full twenty-four hours of hell, trying to get home with a low-grade fever caused by what I assume is an infection that will more than likely require antibiotics and on standby, because I didn’t want to chance running into Ben again, I hopped flights all over Europe just to get home.

  I look at my watch and see it’s close to midnight. I wonder if my sister-in-law, Phoebe, received my email and hope she didn’t tell my parents. I wouldn’t want them to worry.

  Normally, it would be Tessa who received the email, and then she would pass it along to my parents, but she’s pregnant and her husband, Collin, is away on business, so I didn’t want to stress her out.

  Mom works on computers at the hospital, so she periodically checks her emails while at work, but she and Dad have absolutely no desire to turn on our old dinosaur home computer. And to be honest, she would have been too stressed about me not having an itinerary.

  The tires bounce a bit as they hit the runway, and I grip the armrests and let out a held breath as the flight smooths out. Then, when the plane finally comes to a stop, I power on my phone, hoping to have some battery left. I see several missed calls and messages. Several are from Ben.

  I shake my head as I close my phone.

  I really hope that the pain in my chest and the damn tears that come in spurts are both due to the fever. Unfortunately, my education tells me it’s feelings.

  Walking through the opened automatic doors, I see my brother Alex and Mom.

  Mom’s eyes widen, and then she hurries toward me. “Kendall, what happened?” She hugs me tightly.

  “I have a burn and think maybe it got infected.”

  She steps back and looks me over. “Why didn’t you call me?”

  “Thought I’d just come home.”

  Alex walks up and gives me a one-armed hug while kissing the top of my head, and I look up at him.

  “Same suitcase?” he asks.

  I nod.

  “Go with Mom. I’ll grab your bag.”

  Mom holds her hand against my forehead. “You’re burning up. When did you last take Tylenol?”

  “Three or four hours ago.”

  She leads me toward the door. “Where’s the burn?”

  11

  Nothing Compares To You

  Kendall

  My fever lasted an entire week, but Mom insisted I stay away from Tessa and Phoebe for almost two days after I was fever free, due to them being pregnant. She thought my illness wasn’t caused by an infection due to my burn, but a “virus.”

  “Probably caught something from that snatch,” I mumble under my breath as I look out the farmhouse window, watching Dad and Alex jump out of the farm truck that is pulling a hay wagon.

  “Morning,” Phoebe says from behind me, causing me to drop the plate I was washing in the dishwater.

  I turn around and look at my sister-in-law, who’s pregnant and absolutely adorable. “Look at you.” I smile as I wipe my hands on the dishtowel then hug her.

  “A beached whale.” She laughs as she hugs me back. “Feeling better?”

  “Fever free for two days, or Mom wouldn’t have let me near you pregnant Ross’s.”

  Stepping back, she looks up. “Sorry you had to cut your trip short.”

  I’m not, I think then change the subject. “You are the most adorable pregnant woman.” Her tiny build makes it impossible to hide her belly.

  She rolls her eyes and rubs her belly. “Alex said, by the time I have our baby, I’ll be as wide as I am tall.”

  “Oh no, he didn’t.”

  She nods. “Oh yes, he did.”

  “I’m going to kick his ass.” I drop the towel on the counter and start to make my way to the door.

  She laughs and grabs my elbow. “He, um …” She pauses, and I look back at her. Her cheeks burn bright red. “… likes it.”

  “He what?”

  She shrugs. “He really likes it.” She rubs her belly.

  “I think maybe that’s more information than I need to know.”

  “Well, then you may want to avoid your sister’s place today. She wants to do some pregnant boudoir shoots with Jade, Ashley—”

  “Lucas’s wife, Ashley?” I ask.

  She nods.

  “Do you think it’s weird that she’s become such good friends with her ex’s new wife?”

  She shrugs. “You know your sister; she’ll always care about him.”

  Just like she will, Ben, I think to myself.

  “What is it?” Phoebe asks.

  “What?” I shake my head from side to side. “Nothing.”

  “She wants him to be happy. She’s not in love with him.”

  I nod as I turn to finish the dishes. “Of course.”

  She sighs and walks to my side. “You know, um … Ben’s been calling Alex since he got back from”—she scrunches up her face—“Ireland.”

  I quickly change the subject again. “Where’s Remington?”

  She cocks her head. “He was up at four with Alex, because he wanted to feed our boarders. Then he climbed in his big boy bed and fell back to sleep. So, Kendall Ross, you have my undivided attention.”

  “Great,” I huff, and she laughs.

  “Talk to me.”

  “Nothing to talk about.”

  She opens the cupboard above her and grabs two mugs. “Then sit and have coffee with me.”

  I immediately try to think of an excuse to get the hell out of here when Phoebe hands me a cup of coffee.

  Tu
rning to walk toward the table, she says, “He asked Alex how he would feel about the two of you dating.”

  I nearly choke on the sip of coffee that I just took.

  “Alex thinks it would be great.”

  After wiping my mouth off with the back of my hand, I shake my head. “I think not.”

  “I get that because he and Tessa briefly dated, you—”

  “Has nothing to do with Tessa. He’s a pig. I haven’t held on to my virginity for twenty plus years—”

  “But—”

  “No.” I shake my head vigorously back and forth. “And he has no damn right talking to Alex about his delusional idea. Next thing you know, Mom, Dad, and Tessa—”

  “He asked Alex not to say anything to anyone.”

  “He told you,” I huff. When I look back, I can tell I hurt her feelings. “Please don’t personalize this. I’m not mad at you; I’m pissed at him. He’s insane.”

  She smiles softly. “Okay.”

  I look at her as she smiles, taking another sip. “I know you and Tessa are tight, but please—”

  “So are you and me. Besides that, my husband told me in confidence, and there’s no way I’d betray it.”

  “We aren’t, and never will be a thing.”

  She smiles and nods. “All right then.”

  I look down at my cup of coffee, making sure to avoid eye contact, not wanting her to see the mixed feelings of hurt and anger I have for my momentary lapse of judgment.

  “You wanna come up to Tessa’s and look at half-naked pregnant women pretending they feel sexy?”

  “I’ll stop by a little later. I have some things to do.”

  She smiles. “Like my dishes?”

  “Yeah.

  Sitting on the bridge at the state park, I try to catch my breath. It’s been a couple of months since I last ran, and a year since I did the one hundred plus uneven, stone stairs leading to the upper pavilion.

  I watch the kids play in the manmade swimming hole fed by the waterfalls, splashing and having the time of their lives. Husbands and wives push strollers, couples walk their dogs, groups of hikers head up the stairs to the trails, and I see a dog off a leash running full speed toward the swimming hole.

  “Oh shit,” I gasp as I see him leap off the rock wall and into the water.

  The loud whistle of the lifeguard on duty calls the swimmers in as I watch and wait for him to surface. My heart beats against my chest as I count to ten, and the dog has yet to come up.

  Swinging my legs over the bridge, I jump onto it then begin to run as I watch the water and still don’t see him. Running full force, I get to the edge of the bridge, kick off my shoes, throw my phone and earbuds off, and then jump in as I hear the lifeguard yell, “Miss, don’t—”

  Underwater, I swim frantically, eyes wide open as I search for the damn dog until I have no breath left and my lungs begin to burn. I quickly swim to the top and hear the same voice warning me as I take another deep breath before going under again.

  My eyes sting as I swim underwater, continuing my search. When I see blue eyes staring back at me, pleading, terrified blue eyes, I ignore what I’ve been taught about animals and swim closer.

  I see a leash and grab it, yanking it and hoping to use it to pull him to the surface while avoiding getting bit or scratched, but when it doesn’t move, and my lungs begin to burn, I turn in a circle and face this animal whose eyes are now starting to roll up. I know he’s losing consciousness.

  I quickly work at his collar, and when I have it off, I grip him, wrapping my arm around him and pulling his back to my chest as I swim, out of breath, toward the sun shining down on us. Once I surface, I gasp to get air into my lungs as I swim backward toward the shore.

  I fight to pull him up, scraping my legs against the jagged rocks, until I am on a semi-flat surface. Then I stand, using every ounce of strength to lift him up and carry him to the lawn several feet away.

  He’s not moving, and my eyes immediately catch fire.

  “Come on, boy; don’t you die on me.”

  His weight lessens as someone lifts his hind legs. Together, we carry him to the lawn.

  “Please,” I beg as I take his muzzle in my hands and begin to blow into his nose.

  Nothing.

  “Come on, boy!” I cry as I push on his chest, doing what I hope is some sort of doggie chest compressions. “Breathe, dammit!” I yell before blowing into his nose again.

  I hear the words, “Keep doing that; his chest is rising,” through the ringing in my ears.

  I begin compressions again, and then the most beautiful yelp comes out of him.

  As he tries to stand, the man who helped me holds him still. “Settle down, buddy, settle down.”

  I flop back on the lawn, eyes closed, and try to catch my breath as I hear people around us cheer.

  “Leg’s messed up; we need to get him to a vet.”

  “My brother’s a vet,” I say as I push myself up.

  “Well aware of that, little Ross. Let’s go.”

  “Ben? What the—”

  “Let’s go.” He stands, dog in his arms, and begins to hurry toward the parking lot. I follow behind him, and he looks over his shoulder to say, “You’re driving.”

  “Your things,” a voice I don’t recognize calls from behind me.

  “Thanks,” I take then, still trying to catch my breath.

  “My truck’s parked in the other—”

  “Then you’re driving my truck.” He nods. “Silver Chevy crew cab.”

  With my shoes in hand, I hurry past him toward the brand-new pick-up truck and open the passenger door.

  “Back door. If he gets pissed, he doesn’t need to disturb the driver.”

  I open the door then hurry around to the driver’s side.

  “Keys are in the console.”

  “Which is stupid! Someone could steal—”

  “You can give me hell later, little Ross. His breathing is rough.”

  “What the hell were you doing at my park?” I yell as I start the engine.

  “State park. And I was looking for you.”

  “Well, you shouldn’t have bothered!”

  “You can rip me a new ass when I don’t have this… wolf barely breathing on my lap.”

  For five minutes, I listen to Ben talk to the dog.

  “Shouldn’t be jealous of you, dog, but I am.”

  I want to tell him to shut the hell up, but I also don’t want him to know I give a damn.

  “Wish I’d come up with the idea to jump in the water and fake drowning just to see if she’d try to save me.”

  I huff.

  “Good thing you don’t have thumbs and a cell phone, though. Because, when Kendall Ross is done, apparently, she won’t even give you a return text saying fuck off.”

  I open my mouth to reply, but he talks over me.

  “I get she’s pissed, but what she doesn’t get is I’m more pissed.”

  “Pft.”

  “Left her a note on my door saying I had to go home. Not sure she read it or—”

  “There was no note, just a half-naked whore inside your apartment, so how about you stop lying to the poor dog and let him rest?” I glare at him through the rearview mirror as I come to a stop.

  He huffs and shakes his head. “Fucking Marna.”

  “Yes, yes, you were,” I grit out as I stomp on the accelerator.

  “Kendall, I know damn well you can keep your mouth shut, so I’m gonna trust you with a secret,” he says over the squealing tires.

  “At least one of us can. You told Alex!”

  “My sweet, sweet, little Ross, could you please take it easy on my tires?”

  I laugh haughtily. “Why, of course, Ben. Anything for you.” I hit the gas as I take a corner, heading up the hill almost sideways.

  “Not trying to make you more upset than you are, and I’m not going to ask you to grovel or give up the V-card to make up for the pure stubbornness of your spirit, which I happen to fu
cking find wildly attractive because I wanna break it, but only when you’re on your back and under me—”

  “You have got to be fucking kidding me.” I turn into the driveway, barely slowing down and nearly putting the truck on its side.

  “Don’t say fuck again. Makes me hard.”

  I slam on the brakes in front of the barn and honk the horn before killing the engine and jumping out of Ben’s beast of a truck.

  Alex runs out as I swing the back door open.

  “He needs your help, Alex.”

  He looks at me and calmly says, “Okay.”

  I step back, and he looks into the truck. “Ben.”

  “Your sister saved a drowning dog. Did mouth to nose and shit. He’s not doing all that great.”

  “Has the owner been—”

  “Owner? Look at this mutt; probably has rabies.” Ben slides out of the truck with the dog cradled in his arms.

  “Follow me.”

  Once he’s on the table, he seems to get anxious, so I walk over beside him and softly pet his head.

  “Thought you were coming on Sunday,” Alex says to Ben as he looks over the dog.

  What the hell? I scream in my head.

  “Decided to come a couple days early since my uncle’s in town.”

  “Giving you a break?” Alex asks as he rubs up the dog’s leg. “Broken leg.” He rubs up and down his ribcage, and the dog yelps. “Broken rib.” He looks at me. “He’s a mess.”

  “Then fix him.”

  “I don’t have room for another, Kendall. We’re going to really need to find this one a home.”

  “When he heals up, I’ll take him,” Ben offers.

  “No, you won’t,” I snap at him. “He’s mine.”

  “Gonna take him to college?” Ben laughs at me then looks me over like Alex was the dog.

  Before I can say anything, Alex asks, “How’s your dad progressing?”

  Ben gives him a nod as he answers, “Good.”

  “She needs rest and some x-rays.”

  “She, huh?” Ben winks at me.

  I roll my eyes and mouth, “Pig.”

  “You need our help, or can I take Kendall to lunch?”

  Before I have a chance to tell him to kiss my ass, Alex shakes his head. “I got this. Go.”