Zach shook off all the speculation and hypotheticals when he realized he was just standing in the shower, wasting time. He got ready and headed back over to Miss Leona’s place, which was oddly silent when he opened the door. Lilah was quiet except for when she sneezed, but when Sam and Corie got going you could hear them across the valley. He followed the faint sound of George Benson coming from the kitchen and found Miss Leona alone, putting away a pitcher of her holiday punch.
“Where is everyone?” Zach asked.
“Evie’s turned in for the night.”
“Where’s everyone else?”
“Oh, I thought you only came rushing back here, drenched in cologne, just to see Evie,” she said, pinching her nose.
“Drenched is a strong word. You told me not to come back into your house smelling like the horses.”
“I didn’t want the smell of a cosmetics factory either. Sam and Corie wouldn’t stop cutting up, so I sent them to the movies. Evie and Tilde were trying to rest. They didn’t need all that noise. Jesse turned in for the night too. You hungry?”
Zach double checked his phone. Little punk Sam didn’t even drop him a text. “Uh, yes, ma’am.”
“Go ahead and make yourself a plate.” She nodded toward the covered leftovers on top of the stove. Zach made a bowl of Lilah’s chili and cornbread and then another plate of the ham and greens and mac and cheese Miss Leona had made. With all the houseguests and Jesse’s daily caloric intake, the massive spread would be wiped out by the following afternoon.
Zach set himself up at the kitchen island, smiling at his grandmother as she sat down beside him with a glass of that hundred-proof punch.
“So what are you going to do now?” she asked as he swallowed his first bite.
“About what?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, Zachariah. I taught you that smile. She’s back. She’s not all there, but I saw the way you looked at Yvonne and I saw how she looks at you. Time, distance, and a little forgetfulness—”
“This is a little more than forgetfulness.”
“Don’t interrupt me. It’s rude. I was simply saying that I know you and I know that look. Evie could be back with us for good if her memory doesn’t come back, and I know you’re not going to just go on with your life like she isn’t living next door.”
Zach leaned back in his chair and gave up his pitiful fight. Dragging his napkin across his mouth, he sighed.
“Can I ask you something?” Miss Leona said.
“Yes, ma’am. Ask away.”
“What’s the rush?”
“What do you mean?”
“She was released from the hospital this morning. You waited ten years. I won’t get all up in your business about what you were doing all this time when you could have sent her a text message or gotten your behind on a plane or picked up the damn phone, but what’s the problem with giving her some time to heal?”
“I—” Zach stopped himself. Miss Leona had a point. Evie had told him to leave her alone, so he had. Maybe he was in his own head, dealing with his own shit, but over time he had convinced himself that whatever feelings either of them had, had long since faded from both their minds. But he knew that wasn’t the case. He knew it from the moment Jesse received that call from Nicole. He knew it from the way Evie looked at him the moment he walked into her hospital room.
The feelings were still there, but whatever he was feeling for Evie was only a part of the equation. He wanted her back in his life, but he needed to give her time to decide what she really wanted for herself and what she wanted with him. A short laugh escaped Zach’s chest as he reconsidered his current plan of courtship. Or lack of a plan, if he was being honest.
“I guess . . . maybe I could pull back a little. I feel like—”
“You feel like you’ve found each other again.”
“That’s it. I didn’t realize how much I missed her until I saw her sitting in that hospital bed.”
“I understand. We’re all worried and we’re all glad she’s back. I had to catch my breath when she got out of the car. Looks just like Amelia.”
“You miss her, don’t you?”
“Every day.”
Zach looked at his grandmother and thought about what she must have been like at his age. She and Nana Buck had a tight clique, rounded out by Zach’s grandfather Gerald Sr. and Evie’s grandad, Justice. One by one, they’d all passed away, leaving Miss Leona to love her three sons, their wives, and thirteen grandchildren. She was surrounded by family and friends who loved the hell out of her, but it wasn’t the same. He didn’t want to consider how’d he be feeling if Evie’s accident had turned out differently. Zach leaned over and a planted a kiss on his grandmother’s temple.
“I hear you,” he said.
“Good. I have a feeling Evie’s going to be with us for a while, and I don’t need you coming around here every hour on the hour asking if you can escort her to the box social. Let her come to you, if she wants to, in her own time. Don’t be so damn thirsty.”
A burst of laughter exploded from Zach. Miss Leona whacked him on the arm, shushing him.
“So loud. You’re gonna wake up Evie and then Tilde is gonna come in here and I’m gonna have to remind her that she’s a guest in my house.”
“Oh no. What happened?”
“She asked me when was the last time we changed the water filter and then gave me a lecture about the ‘menu’ I’d have lined up for Evie, because nutrition is key to recovery and brain health.” Miss Leona paused for dramatic effect and then slowly rolled her eyes. Zach chuckled and spooned up some more chili.
“She’s out of here tomorrow.”
“Good.”
“Who taught you thirsty, Miss Leona?”
“Last season on Rory’s, the finale,” she said as she picked up her wineglass. She took a deep sip.
The parking lot of Charming High was covered in straw, but it all made sense. It was homecoming weekend and they needed horses for the parade. The sky was pink and black all at the same time. Streaks of green and blue outlined the clouds. Evie could hear thunder in the distance, but there was no chance of rain. It never rained in Charming. Not during homecoming. The lights of the stadium lit up Zach’s bright red pickup truck.
Evie was cold, but she didn’t care. She was too busy kissing Zach Pleasant. He sat in the driver’s seat, his boots on the step rails, thighs open, leaving plenty of room for Evie to stand between his legs. She was so turned on as his tongue moved against hers. She knew they shouldn’t be doing this. Especially right in the middle of the parking lot, right in the middle of the game, right in the middle of election night. She still had her I VOTED sticker plastered to the front of her jean jacket. Anyone could see them, but she didn’t care.
She wanted to get closer. She knew they couldn’t have sex, not right out in the open with people walking by and the game dragging into halftime. But maybe if she climbed into his lap, they could do a little something to help ease the throbbing ache that was starting to soak her underwear.
Evie broke their kiss and buried her face in Zach’s shoulder to cover her laugh.
“What’s so funny?” he asked, giving her side a little squeeze. A little tremor of excitement rushed all over her body. She’d been waiting to do this for a while.
“Nothing. I just told Nicole I wouldn’t.”
“Don’t tell Nicole you did then.”
Evie looked to her left at the hole that had been created in the back wall of the school. It had been like that for as long as she could remember, the library and part of the custodian’s office exposed to the parking lot. Thorny vines grew up the walls of crumbling cinder block. Evie laughed even harder as she saw Mrs. Milenakis moving back and forth in the line, trying to avoid the thorns. She looked right at Evie and Evie knew she was going to get an earful the next morning, if she decided to go to homeroom. Which she wouldn’t because she was an adult and she didn’t have to report to homeroom. She had to be on set in the morning. Nicole
was going to kill her.
“We’re missing Jesse’s game,” Evie said when she turned back around, but Zach was gone. It didn’t make any sense. She could still feel him all around her. She searched the truck. Tears pricked the back of her eyes and suddenly this strange pain tightened in her chest. It was happening again. It kept happening. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to will the feelings away. She would be fine. She was fine.
When she opened her eyes she was standing in a dark stairway. More crumbled walls wrapped in thorny vines. Below she could hear music. Nicole was waiting for her. She started down the stairs, but every time she tried to take a step down, her foot would get stuck. Something was wrong with her laces. Evie reached down and untied her sneakers and then she fell.
Evie woke with a start. It took her a moment to realize where she was. She blinked a few times, trying to place the claustrophobic feel of her hospital room. Even with her glasses off she could tell the windows in front of her were too big. She leaned up in the comfortable queen-size bed, blinking some more, knowing the blurry scene around her wouldn’t improve unless she put on her glasses.
She was in Charming, California, in the home of Miss Leona Lovell. She’d slept through the afternoon and would have slept through the night if Tilde hadn’t woken her up to encourage her to eat some dinner and hydrate. She appreciated the interruption to her deep, dreamless slumber, but as soon as she finished the delicious leftovers Miss Leona had sent to her room, she changed her clothes and went right back to sleep.
She felt for her glasses and pushed them up her nose. The digital clock across the room told her it was three thirty in the morning. She could still feel the edges of her dream. Her throat felt raw, like she’d just been crying, but the rest of her body was still in that kiss. Nothing about it was real, but Evie could still taste Zach on her lips and the throbbing ache between her legs didn’t want to fade either.
She reached for her phone that Tilde had plugged in on the nightstand. Blaire had showed her how to use the do not disturb function. Her phone had been silent all night, but there were a few notifications on her screen. A text from Blaire and two from Raquelle. She’d been so tired and overwhelmed she’d forgotten to call them when she reached Miss Leona’s home. She was sure Jesse had touched base with them after they arrived, but she wanted to text them back. She wanted to talk to Blaire and tell her everything about her journey cross-country. She wanted to hear Raquelle’s bubbly voice. Both would have to wait. Even with the three-hour difference, something in the back of her mind told her that it was too early for social calls.
Evie turned on the bedside lamp and carefully made her way over to her bags. The journal Zach had given her was right on top of her things. She knew the diary was made for a kid, but that didn’t stop her from writing down everything she could remember from her dream and how every detail of the dream made her feel.
* * *
The next time Evie woke up it was to the sounds of Miss Leona and Tilde arguing in the hallway. She wasn’t exactly sure what they were saying, but it was suddenly quiet. A few minutes later Tilde entered her room. She checked Evie’s blood pressure and her bandage, then told her to go back to sleep. Evie wasn’t going to argue with that suggestion.
Hours later she woke and realized she’d slept the whole morning away. It was almost noon. In the leather armchair across from the bed she found towels, a washrag, and a fluffy robe. She knew she should find Tilde and at least let her know she was up and she was going to take a shower, but she wanted a little more time to herself. She took off her pajamas and slid into the robe.
The en suite bathroom had a large shower with a marble bench and a movable showerhead. It took her a few tries to figure out the knobs, but she successfully showered and got ready for her day on her own. She used the lovely scented lotions that Blaire had packed in her suitcase. She used the lip balm from Shanny too. There was nothing she could do about her hair, but for the first time in a week she was starting to feel more human.
She followed the soft sound of music back out to the kitchen, but halfway she stopped as she realized the hall leading to her room was lined with photos and clippings of the Pleasant family. She’d been so distracted by Zach the day before, she hadn’t noticed the small family museum that went to the end of the hall, beyond the guest room where Tilde was staying. She followed the line of photos and found that the hall curved. It led to a large entertainment room with a big wall-mounted TV, a big couch that looked like it could seat least twelve people, and a pool table. This room was also filled with photos and there was a large case against the wall, filled with trophies.
Evie walked into the room and right over to the case. Dozens of trophies, some shaped like stars and others that were little statues of men on bucking horses. She looked at the names on the little plaques. Most of the trophies belonged to Jesse Pleasant Sr., but there were plenty with Zach’s and Sam’s names on them too. Evie didn’t want to be caught snooping, so she headed back out into the hall, looking at the pictures on the wall as she slowly made her way back to the kitchen.
She only stopped twice. The first time was in front of a framed cover from Essence magazine. It was dated a little over a year ago. Zach and Jesse were photographed standing side by side, wearing their signature cowboy hats. The words PRINCES OF CHARMING: How the Pleasant Brothers Are Changing the Face of Luxury Hotels was printed across the left side of Jesse’s lapel. Evie had to admit they both looked ridiculously handsome. She wondered what he was like as a boss, what it was like for him and Jesse to work so closely together.
She moved on, those questions still running through her brain until she came to a picture of a young Zach and Sam with her grandmother Amelia. Looking at her grandmother’s warm smile and the confident way she stood with one hand on her hip and the other on the reins of a black-and-white horse that towered over her made Evie feel like maybe there was one side of this memory-loss thing that worked to her advantage. She couldn’t remember a thing about her grandmother, or her parents. She couldn’t remember losing them.
The music coming from the kitchen changed and she realized how long she’d been standing in front of the pictures. She found Miss Leona and Tilde both reading in the open kitchen/living room area—sitting as far away from each other as possible. Tilde was in an armchair near the fireplace, reading another paperback, and Miss Leona seemed to be flipping through a cookbook while she stood at the counter. A pair of reading glasses was perched on the end of her nose. Two of the dogs were sprawled out on the kitchen tiles. Only the big one bothered to look up as Evie entered the room.
“Good morning, baby,” Miss Leona said with a smile.
“Good morning.”
“Samuel had to catch a flight, but he told me to tell you he says goodbye and he’ll check back in tomorrow to see how you’re doing.”
“Oh. It was nice to see him for a little bit.” Evie felt an odd sense of disappointment. Sam was another stranger to her, but he seemed very sweet and very easy to be around. She looked forward to getting to know him. She looked forward to getting to know all of the Pleasants, but at the moment Miss Leona seemed to be the only one at home.
“He’ll be back soon. He always comes home. How’d you sleep?”
“Very well. Thank you,” she said, suddenly remembering her dream. She ignored the flash of heat when the sounds of Zach’s laugh echoed in her memory. She didn’t think it was a good idea to ask Miss Leona where he was too. “The bed is very comfortable. Much better than the one at the hospital.”
“Hmmm,” she said with a smile as Tilde made a bit of a grunting noise from across the room. Maybe she hadn’t imagined the argument they’d had earlier.
“You hungry?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Well how about some eggs. Come on.” Miss Leona took Evie’s hand and led her through the open French doors to the backyard. Evie almost gasped at what she saw. Miss Leona’s backyard was a massive garden. A few fruit trees and rows of herbs and vege
tables. There was a porch swing ring there, hanging over the back patio, and Evie could see that on the far side of the yard there were chickens. The bigger dog brushed by her and started poking around in the grass.
“I told Tilde to let you sleep. Sometimes a stay in the hospital does more harm than good, in strange ways. It’s good to get back home.” Evie glanced over in time to catch her wink.
“I don’t have a real home here in Charming, do I?” Evie suddenly asked as Miss Leona led her over to the chicken coop.
“You always have a home with us, but no, you don’t own any property here at the moment. You sold your grandmother’s house and had everything put in storage.”
“Is it—is it still there? Our things. Her things.” Evie wasn’t sure what she was asking, but she wanted to know. It was overwhelming to see Zach and his family, not even his whole family, but the select members who’d filled Miss Leona’s kitchen the night before. It was overwhelming to know that she was the only member of her family left and she couldn’t remember a thing about them. She thought of the picture Zach had shown her of her grandmother and that brown horse. Maybe if she could look at more of her things she would be able to remember something. Or at the very least, be able to connect some more dots from her dreams.
“All your things are still in storage over in Appleton. I believe Jesse has the spare set of keys. I’ll have him take you over there.”
“I’d appreciate that. Thank you.” They stopped just outside the coop.
“In the meantime, I want you to think about your next move.”
“I’m not sure I—”
“I didn’t say you have to decide right now. You take your time, but I think it’s important to move through this life with purpose. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“You will get well. This scar will heal,” Miss Leona said, motioning to the side of her head. “And then you need to think about what’s next. If you need help, some helpful suggestions, you come talk to me and we’ll sort it out together. And in the meantime, you’re gonna help me prepare tonight’s dinner.”
A Cowboy to Remember Page 9