Jerry watched the man turn to his wife, as if he was accusing her of something. “Get in the car, Sheila.”
Sheila didn’t move right away. She looked up at Jerry and said, “I’m sorry. I hope she’ll be okay.”
I’ll do the same for you, Jerry wanted to say. “Thank you,” was all he eventually said as he watched the two of them get back in the Lexus, Mr. Hill yanking down on the gear shift and then gunning the motor. The car reversed with such speed that Jerry was certain that Mr. Hill would not be able to stop in time and Jerry would have to replace the stone retaining wall on the other side of the veranda.
It wasn’t until the car came to an abrupt stop that Jerry noticed David’s new SUV coming up the driveway. Mr. Hill’s car was now in gear, and he gunned the engine a second time, lurching forward and narrowly missing the SUV on his way down the driveway. Jerry schooled his desire to wave to them as they drove away, and walked over to the SUV.
“Your mother okay?” Jerry held the door while David reached to the passenger’s seat and took hold of the green recyclable cloth bags he used for grocery shopping. Jerry pointed to the groceries and held out his hand. “Got my text message, I see.”
“I did, indeed,” David said as he hung the two bags on his husband’s extended hand and hopped out of his vehicle. He looked in the direction of the burgundy Lexus and then fixed Jerry with a confused look. “Lost?”
“In more ways than one,” Jerry joked and leaned in for a kiss. “Your mom?” Jerry asked again as he draped his free arm over David’s broad shoulders and walked him to the house.
“She’s okay,” David said, smiling. “In fact, she thinks it would be a great idea if William gave her flowers and a card… and if he delivered them himself.”
Jerry stopped walking for a moment, not sure he’d heard correctly. David nodded and Jerry started walking again. They climbed the few stairs to the veranda and entered the house. “He might need that distraction,” Jerry said as he walked behind David to the kitchen and put the bags on the kitchen table. “Those folks were Mr. and Mrs. Hill… Anne’s parents.”
“Really? What did they say?”
“Nothing important,” Jerry said, reaching into the bags to remove groceries and place them on the table, so that David could put them away. It was one of their routines, and they had it down to a science, Jerry choosing items that needed refrigeration first and then ending with those items that were to be put in the farthest cupboard. “Didn’t really get much past the fact that William’s other parent is a man.”
“Goddamn faggots are gonna take over the world one of these days,” David spat, his low gravely drawl making Jerry laugh. David didn’t often take things too seriously, but Jerry lived for the moments when his husband would come out with some quip that seemed to put everything into perspective. “At least we didn’t make William gay. Did you tell him that?”
“No chance, you smartass,” Jerry said, laughing and backing David up against the counter. “Something tells me we won’t be seeing them again,” Jerry sighed.
“Which probably means that William won’t be seeing Anne either.” David’s happy face disappeared, and he started chewing on the inside of his cheek. Jerry leaned down to kiss his lips so he’d stop.
“No way of knowing,” Jerry said, his hands roaming and his lips almost touching David’s. “We’ll figure it out, whatever happens.”
“If he gets his heart broken, it will kill him, Jerry.”
“No, it won’t,” Jerry said, cupping David’s ass and lifting him onto the counter so that they were almost eye to eye. “We’ll make sure of that.”
David’s smile returned and Jerry started thinking about the blanket and the copse of trees. “Best dad in the world.”
“And lover and husband and friend,” Jerry said, his hands finding their way under the T-shirt that David was wearing. He smiled when his husband shivered and pressed closer to him.
“You’re so modest. It’s refreshing to see someone so down-to-earth.”
“Speaking of down to earth,” Jerry whispered, then moved his lips and tongue to David’s ear. “How about we go get that blanket?”
DAVID was just in the middle of preparing the platter of cheese and tomato slices and other fixings for the burgers when he heard the phone ring in Jerry’s office. Cursing himself for always forgetting about getting another handset for the kitchen, he grabbed the tea towel and ran to answer the call.
“Hello,” David said, hoping he didn’t sound too rushed.
“Mr. Loewenberger?”
David didn’t recognize the quiet, hesitant voice on the other end of the line. “Yes?”
“This is Mrs. Hill, Anne’s mother.”
“Mrs. Hill?” He was quite surprised, given that she and her husband had sped off like bats out of hell almost running him into one of the corral fences. “What, uh, what can I do for you?”
“Anne is missing, run away.”
David could hear in her slight voice that she was on the verge of tears. He took a deep breath and tried to think of something that would calm her. “I’m sorry. But I haven’t seen her,” he said feeling stupid for saying it since he’d never met her, or even seen a picture of her. “Would you hold the line for one moment, and I’ll get William?”
He cupped his hand over the receiver and yelled for his son. As he waited, David uncovered the mouthpiece, taking another breath. “Have you already called her other friends?”
“Anne doesn’t have too many, and the only one that I’ve ever met who is still friendly with her is Julie. And she’s not home.”
David heard the tension and worry in her voice and was about to ask her to hold the line again so he could yell for William a second time. But then he heard footsteps on the stairs and waited.
“Okay,” David said, turning to fix William with a stare. “Mrs. Hill? William is here. I’ll just be gone a moment so I can speak to him.” He cupped his hand over the receiver again.
“Anne has run away,” David said, looking intently for William’s reaction.
“What? When?”
William’s eyes widened, his face showing as much worry as he heard in Mrs. Hill’s voice. He didn’t need to ask if William was involved in any way. “Go and wait for me in the kitchen,” David said to William, well aware that he would probably be straining to hear the rest of the conversation. He put the receiver back to his mouth. “William does not seem to know anything about this, Mrs. Hill. Is there any place you can think of that she would go? Would you like us to come and help find her?”
“Jim, uh, Mr. Hill is out looking for her right now.” David was sure he’d just heard sniffles. “I don’t think it would be a good idea for him to be anywhere near your family right now.” David opened his mouth, ready to agree that perhaps Mr. Hill needed some time to cool off, thinking it would be no help to anyone to have Jerry anywhere near Anne’s father either. When he heard Mrs. Hill speak again, he decided to keep his mouth shut and to allow her to vent a little. “Anne is quite taken with William, and I believe her. I trust her judgment, but her father is convinced that your son is only interested in using Anne.”
“I’m so sorry that you’re caught in the middle of this,” David said, trying to keep his voice soothing, yet concerned. “Is there anything that I can do for you?”
“Jim can be a little hot-tempered sometimes… but I guess you could tell by the way he almost hit your car today.” David heard a sigh. “I’m so sorry about that, Mr. Loewenberger.”
“Please, call me David,” he said, wondering if she’d heard his offer of help.
“Anne’s been so angry with us ever since she told us about…. She won’t eat with us, tells us that she hates us.” Mrs. Hill sounded close to tears again. “I’ve never seen her so defiant to her father. He’s grounded her for a month.”
David stood there, saying again and again that he was sorry that this was happening. Mrs. Hill definitely needed someone to talk to, so David just listened, wondering w
hat state William had worked himself into by now.
“She’s told us both several times that she will run away if that’s what it takes to see William.”
“Mrs. Hill—”
“Sheila.”
“Of course. Sheila, I promise you that if Anne shows up here, that I will bring her home immediately.”
“Thank you, David.” Her voice was a little louder and David thought she sounded a little calmer. “He kept on punishing her and taking away privileges until there was nothing left. I tried to talk to him, rationally, but he just kept saying that no daughter of his would be a statistic.”
David assumed that Mr. Hill was referring to his daughter becoming a teenage mother, although David wondered why Mr. Hill wasn’t concerned about all of the other complications from unprotected sex. Perhaps it was that David was a gay man, but his first thought would have been for communicable disease and not necessarily pregnancy.
“He’s checked her e-mails and her laptop, and he’s convinced that she’s fallen in with the wrong crowd.”
David bristled at the invasion of privacy and wondered if Mr. Hill ever spent time just talking to his daughter instead of invading her e-mails and personal property. But then again, when he was teaching, David had met plenty of parents who felt it was their right to claim all property under their roofs as their own.
“I’m going to be with William while he makes some phone calls. Can you give me your number or would you prefer to call me back?”
When she began to recite her number, David scrambled for a pen and wrote down the number on a scrap piece of paper lying on Jerry’s desk. He told her to try not to worry and that he would call her back within the hour.
When David entered the kitchen, he found William sitting in a chair, his knee bouncing. Billie had come down to join him and had her head resting on his thigh. David pulled out his cell phone, knowing that William’s would most likely still be upstairs. He put the phone in front of his son.
“Call your friends. See if any of them has heard anything at all.” David sat across from him.
“Where could she be?” William’s hand moved to scratch behind Billie’s ears. “What if something happens to her? Do you think she’s trying to come and see me? What if some stranger—”
“William,” David said sternly as he pointed to the phone. “Now, please.”
William nodded and picked up the phone, punching buttons, his knee still bouncing and Billie looking up at David as if she was just as worried as William. David got up and finished arranging the platter for the barbecue, listening to William speaking with Julie. He suddenly remembered how annoyed he’d felt at the invasion of privacy that Mr. Hill had committed and, after quickly covering the platter with plastic wrap, scooped it up and headed out to sit with Jerry.
His husband was waiting for the charcoal briquettes to heat up. Jerry didn’t like propane barbecues. David thought Jerry was joking the first time they’d done a barbecue and Jerry had explained that propane just didn’t give the same kind of flavor as charcoal. But he had not been joking. And the taste of the food when Jerry was done with it had David convinced his husband might just have a point.
“Hey, handsome,” David said as he put the tray on the picnic table they usually used, although it was more like a very large patio table, and reached to spread out the tablecloth.
“Hey yourself,” Jerry replied and walked over to help his husband set the table.
“Promise not to be upset?”
“Why?”
“Promise,” David commanded.
“Why?”
Recognizing a losing battle, David sighed. “Mrs. Hill just called. Anne has run away. Mr. Hill is out looking, so you have to promise me that if he comes here looking for her that you’re not going to make this any worse.”
“Me?”
“I know, Jerry. I know, but I’ll bribe you if I have to. Just don’t take any of his bait, or do anything that will upset William. He was close to tears when he found out.”
“Fine,” Jerry said with a slight pout. “But I’m telling you right now—”
David pressed his lips to Jerry’s, silencing him. “Bribe. Anything you want,” David said, his hands drifting to push inside the back pockets of Jerry’s jeans.
“Anything?”
David nodded and removed his hands. “I’m going to go back inside and find out if William has any news or has heard from Anne.”
“I’ll be right there,” Jerry said, returning to the barbecue. “I’ll get the meat at the same time.”
David walked back into the house to the frantic sound of William telling someone that he wanted to be notified if they heard anything about Anne. He walked into the kitchen and found Billie lying beside her bowl. He stooped to scratch her ears, reassuring her that everything would be okay again, real soon. “So?” David asked when William disconnected the call and put the phone on the table. “Anything?”
“No,” William sighed, sounding defeated and even more worried. “David, I’m scared.”
David felt his chest tighten. He walked over and sat beside his son. “There’s nothing to be scared about,” he lied. “I’m sure she’s just run off to get away and think things through.” David picked up his phone. “I have to call Mrs. Hill back. Have you tried everyone you can think of?”
William looked up at him and nodded, his eyes moist and frightened. “Sweetie, I’m so sorry that all this is happening to you and Anne, but—”
“William!”
They both turned at the sound of Jerry’s voice, his father voice, the one that told William he could very well be in trouble. Billie stood up as well, barking once, her usual reaction to the deep bass of Jerry’s voice.
David followed William and Billie out to the veranda. As soon as William saw who was there, standing with a knapsack and a frightened look on her own face, he bounded off the veranda and had her in his arms within seconds, their lips touching lightly before they hugged each other. Billie yipped and barked, trying to get William’s attention.
“I’m going to call Mrs. Hill,” David whispered to Jerry, who was looking at his son and smiling. “Jerry?” David called, a little louder. “They’re not going anywhere. Get in here and give them some privacy.”
Chapter 9
DAVID hung up the phone, having reassured Mrs. Hill that he would be bringing Anne home as soon as she’d had something to eat. Mrs. Hill had agreed immediately, explaining that Mr. Hill was still out looking for Anne, and that—after her phone call giving him the good news—she would have some time to calm him down and explain how they had all decided to deal with the situation at hand.
Jerry was leaning against the counter when David came back into the kitchen to fetch the soft drinks and platter of hamburgers and ribs. David recognized that look of his husband’s, head bowed and his arms crossed over his chest. “I know what that look means,” David said, sidling up to his husband and trying to wrap his arms around the broad shoulders, from the side. “It’s the same look you had when you caught Cory and Tara out on the veranda, smooching.”
Jerry huffed a little laugh and pulled his husband in front of him, each of them with their arms wrapped around each other. “When I saw him out there, so in love and so relieved that Anne was okay,” Jerry started, shaking his head. “All I could see was that little ten-year-old boy in the big sweatshirt with the maple leaf on it, his eyes growing really big when I told him we’d go out riding on the horses.”
David felt a little sting behind his eyes as he watched Jerry reminisce. It wasn’t a very common occurrence, Jerry living in the past, and it always made David a little misty when he learned what his husband was really thinking. He leaned up and kissed Jerry, a gentle, chaste kiss. “I’m proud of him too.”
“So fucking proud of our son I can’t stand it sometimes,” Jerry said, closing his eyes.
“You’re the most amazing man, Jerrod McKenzie.” David leaned up and kissed his cheek this time, fighting back his own tea
rs.
Jerry just shook his head and pulled David into a bear hug. David wasn’t sure how long they stood there like that, or how long they’d left William and Anne alone outside, until the door opened and Cory was calling for them.
He walked into the kitchen and David pulled away from Jerry. “Hi, Cory. Hi, Tara.”
“What’s going on?” Cory looked from David to Jerry. “William’s out there with some girl, standing by the corral fence with their arms around each other. I think she’s crying.”
“That’s Anne,” David said, walking over to the counter and handing Cory and Tara each a platter. “She’s run away from home because her parents—I’ll explain it all later.” David turned back to Jerry and offered him a smile before turning back to Cory and Tara. “Take those outside and then come and wash up for dinner.”
When Cory and Tara had taken the platters and left the kitchen, David walked back over to where Jerry was standing. “Do you want to come with me and William when we drop Anne off?” David saw the confused look on Jerry’s face. “I doubt he’ll let her out of his sight, and I’m not willing to let this go on any longer.” He looked Jerry up and down and then pointed in the general direction of the veranda. “And I can’t stand to see William like this either.”
“Mr. Hill didn’t seem like the kind to listen to reason,” Jerry said dryly.
“Well, that will be his problem to deal with,” he huffed and looked back at Jerry. “We’ve got two kids out there who made a mistake, both of them really good kids—or so I’m assuming since I don’t think William would fall for some girl who was anything but.”
“What about me not causing any problems?” Jerry pushed himself off the counter. “If he says anything against our boy, I’ll….”
“We have to be supportive of William, Jerry, of course, but this isn’t about our feelings being hurt. We have to find some way of letting those two see each other and gaining Mr. Hill’s trust. Right?”
Roots and Wings Page 9