Dragonfly Creek

by T. L. Haddix

“Of course.” She rubbed her face on his hand where it rested on her shoulder. “I didn’t think he’d ever come home, but here he is.”

  “Did you ask him about the job?”

  “Yes. He’s going to take it.” She stood and turned off the lamp, then joined Owen at the door. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she went past and pulled her back into him. When he nuzzled her neck, biting down gently, she smiled and turned in his arms. “So that’s why you came looking for me.”

  Owen closed the door, then backed her into it. “No. I came looking for you because I missed you.” He leaned in and kissed her gently. “Think we can chance staying down here, having a little fun? The kids are both upstairs.”

  Sarah started unbuttoning his shirt, enjoying the feel of his body pressed into hers as much as she had nearly thirty years ago, when they’d first been married. “Maybe. If we’re quiet. Or we could sneak out to the studio.”

  “Now, there’s an idea.” The farmhouse they lived in had belonged to Owen’s parents. Because the farmhouse had too many bad memories for his comfort, he’d built his own house behind it after they passed away. After their family started growing, though, he and Sarah had renovated the farmhouse and moved in. He kept the smaller, more modern house as his workspace for writing and illustrating the children’s books he authored. They had used it over the years as a lover’s retreat.

  His hands roamed her back, undoing her bra as they kissed again. Sarah had almost decided to be daring and hang the studio idea when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

  “Mom? I can’t find my blue shirt,” Amelia called. She knocked on the door. “Mom?”

  “Go away, child,” Owen grumbled. “Mom’s busy.”

  “Seriously? You people are at it again? Gross!”

  Sarah could practically see the teenager rolling her eyes, even through the heavy wooden door, but she was laughing, too.

  “I can hardly wait until you have children of your own, young lady,” he growled with a frustrated glower at the door. “I hope they’re just like you.”

  “I’ll be out in a minute,” Sarah told her with a chuckle.

  “Take your time.” Amelia’s laughter echoed back down the hall.

  “That girl has always had the worst timing of all our children. She has a gift for it.” He stepped back with a reluctant sigh. “You don’t know how happy I’ll be when she’s in college.”

  “Owen!” Sarah laughed as she fumbled back into her clothing. “You will be completely despondent when she leaves the nest. You know it.”

  He sat on the back of the couch. “I know. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

  “Rain check?”

  “Short rain check. Find your daughter her shirt and meet me in the studio. Threaten them with penalty of death if they come out there.”

  “You know I have to be up early tomorrow.”

  “You will be. I promise.”

  As she hurried down the hall to help search for the elusive blue shirt, Sarah smiled. She’d gotten very lucky when she met Owen Campbell. If all her children were as happy with their spouses as she was with Owen, she would know she’d done her job as a mother.

  “One down, four to go.”

  Chapter Four

  Tuesday, Ben found an apartment in the old hotel in downtown Hazard. It was a few doors down from the pharmacy his Aunt Gilly owned and ran and was just a couple of streets over from the library. All in all, things were coming together smoothly.

  The pharmacy had an attached diner, and Ben had stopped in to have a late lunch after signing the lease on the apartment.

  “You should come down tonight, have dinner with us,” Gilly told him as she refilled his coffee mug. They were alone in the restaurant, and she straightened the counter while he finished eating.

  “I might do that.”

  Gilly and Jack, Sarah’s brother, lived in the old homeplace where Sarah and Jack had been raised. Located at the foot of the mountain where his parents lived, the Browning homestead was surrounded by Campbell land. Ben and his siblings had grown up in close proximity to Gilly, Jack, and their two children, Rick and Michelle.

  “When are you moving in?” she asked.

  “Saturday probably. The apartment is furnished, so I don’t have to worry about that. All I have to move in are my books and clothes.”

  “Well, it’s going to be nice to have you back, even if it is just for a few months. And it isn’t like Lexington is nine hours away, when you do go. I know Rick and John have missed having you around.”

  “I’ve missed them. Though I don’t think we can get into much trouble these days, what with John being married and Rick being a sheriff’s deputy.” Ben winked at her, and Gilly laughed.

  “Like the three of you ever got into any real trouble growing up. You were very good kids. Couldn’t ask for better.”

  “You wouldn’t happen to be a little biased now, would you?”

  “Not at all.”

  He left the diner a short time later and walked to the library. As much as he told himself he was being ridiculous, he couldn’t open the door and walk in. Instead, he stood on the corner of the sidewalk and looked around. When the fourth car stopped at the intersection, the driver mistakenly thinking he was waiting to cross the street, Ben cursed and went inside. They’d done some renovating and opened up the space. Not sure where he would find his mother, he opened the glass door that separated the vestibule from the front desk and went inside.

  Bypassing the desk, he headed to the back, where the offices had been located. Instead of finding his mother, though, he found the restroom and two closed-off storage rooms.

  “Well, hell.”

  “Looking for someone, sugar?”

  Ben turned, a smile spreading across his face as he recognized the sultry voice. “Callie Barger! Look at you.” He hugged the older woman who’d worked at the library since before his mother had started there. “Still as saucy and beautiful as ever. How are you?”

  “Old enough to be your mother, but you’re too handsome for me to care. When are you going to run away with me, young Ben?”

  He walked back out to the front with her. “How about this weekend?”

  “Sugar, you’d better be careful, or I’ll take you up on that.” She winked. “Your mom is upstairs in her office. I hear you’ll be joining us for a little while. We’ll have to do lunch.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.” With a wave, he headed back into the vestibule and up the stairs. A young woman who was very, very pregnant was standing behind the desk, talking to Sarah.

  “There’s our hero now. Ben, come meet Lisa.”

  After some chitchat, Sarah led him back to the office.

  “New digs, Mom. Nice.”

  “Thank you. Have a seat, and we’ll get your paperwork done.”

  “So how much does this gig pay?” he asked as he filled out the application.

  “Not what you’re used to making, I’m sure.”

  “No, but it will pay the bills. I appreciate this, Mom.”

  “I wasn’t kidding—you’re doing me a favor. Seen your ghost yet?”

  Ben froze for an instant. “No. But I haven’t looked, either. She’ll show up, I’m sure.” He didn’t want to think about it. He figured the lonely nights he would be spending after work would give him plenty time to do that.

  “I’ll head back to the farm,” he told her when they were finished. “Need me to stop for anything?”

  She checked her watch. “It’s after three. If you want to swing by and pick your sister up on your way home, I’ll let your dad know. She’ll be in basketball practice until four. You’d be getting there about the same time he would be coming off the mountain. And I know he’d appreciate the favor.”

  “Will do.”
He stopped at the door, tapping on the frame. “You know, she’s going to have to start beating the boys off with a stick. She doesn’t have any of us around to do it for her.”

  Sarah smiled. “Owen said the same thing recently. And I think she can handle the attention. She just turns them all into friends, and they can’t figure out how she does it. Then she finds them other girlfriends. It’s funny to watch, really.”

  “Poor Dad. He’s not ready for her to grow up.”

  “Neither am I, but I’ve yet to find a way to prevent it. Get on out of here. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  He went out the back door instead of the front, then made his way to the pay parking lot. By focusing his thoughts on picking up Amelia and on his trip to Lexington the next day, he managed to avoid thinking about the girl he used to meet at that back door.

  He was looking forward to seeing his sister Rachel. She was in her second year of college and had volunteered to show him around campus as soon as she’d learned he was going to be in town.

  He ignored the fact that there was someone else in Lexington—at least she had been the last he knew—whom he wouldn’t be seeing tomorrow. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t be looking closely at every tall blonde they encountered. As much as he had tried to quell that habit, he still did it, no matter where he was. He knew it would be worse in Lexington, though, because she’d fled there that summer.

  Ben didn’t know what he would do if he actually encountered Ainsley Brewer. His ideas varied from wrapping her in his arms to wrapping his hands around her neck and squeezing, and everything in between. He hoped, if they ever did have the occasion to meet face-to-face again, he would have the strength to simply walk away.

  Chapter Five

  March 1988

  When Ben got back to his apartment Thursday night and saw the message light blinking on his answering machine, he groaned. It had been a hellish two weeks, and he was almost afraid to check the messages.

  Friday before last, he’d had to pick up John at a bar after he and Zanny had a fight. His sensible, reliable brother had spent the night snoring on Ben’s couch in a drunken stupor. The cause for the argument hadn’t been anything small, either. Once he’d learned the truth behind what had turned into a separation, it had taken all Ben’s willpower to not pound John into the ground.

  As if that weren’t enough, Zanny had lost the baby she’d just found out she was carrying. Though John had spent the last few nights at home, taking care of her, Ben didn’t expect that to last. He’d known Zanny long enough to see that the troubles between her and John went too deep for all to be forgiven easily. As much as he wanted John to learn to appreciate what he had, Ben took no pleasure in seeing their relationship stumble.

  A glance at his watch told him it was approaching six o’clock. He was covered in mud, and as much as he wanted a hot shower and something to eat, he knew he had to listen to the message first. His mother was superstitious about not ignoring a ringing phone, and all the kids had learned to share that belief. Kicking off his work boots, he hit the button. He stripped down to his underwear as the message played.

  “Hey, baby brother! What’re you doing? I decided to take a page from your book, and I’ve come home. I’m at the farm. See you soon.” Emma’s voice sounded cheerful and light, making Ben smile.

  “Finally, some good news.” He picked up the cordless handset and dialed as he headed to the bathroom. Amelia answered on the second ring. “Hey, Pip. I hear you have a visitor.”

  “We do. Are you coming up? Supper’s almost ready.”

  “I have to get cleaned up first. Don’t hold it for me. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “Will do.”

  As he showered, Ben thought about what Nonny had told him when he’d called her earlier in the week, after his father had told him Emma was coming home.

  “Emma’s not in a good place right now, Ben. Don’t you mention it to anyone, as she wants to talk to you all in person, but I thought someone there needed to be prepared. She’s got a lot on her mind. When she gets there, please, please, go easy on her. She needs love and support right now.”

  Ben tried to get his grandmother to tell him what the secret was, but she’d kept her silence. Emma hadn’t come home for Christmas, which was a first. Instead, she’d stayed in Georgia with the jerk she’d been seeing when Ben had left Savannah back in October. They’d broken up not long after, and Ben knew she hadn’t taken that well, but Emma had been closemouthed about the whole thing. Nonny had told him about it and that the man had married someone else on Valentine’s Day. That had caused Ben a special kind of anguish because of his experience with Ainsley a few years back.

  As he rinsed his hair, he closed his eyes and let the hot water wash over him. After the frustration of the past two weeks, he hoped he could keep his promise to Nonny to be extra kind to Emma.

  He’d started working with a local landscape contractor after leaving the job at the library last month. They were putting in some large commercial flower beds for a local bank, and the manual labor of the work had been soothing. His boss, Kyle, knew a little of what was going on with Ben’s family and had been more than happy to let Ben take the more menial aspect of the job so he could work out some of his frustration.

  Clean and excited to see his sister, Ben hit the road. He pulled up at the farm a short time later. To his surprise, Emma was sitting on the front porch, waiting for him, her knees drawn up to her chest. She rose as he approached, and Ben slowed to a halt several feet away. In the light shining through the open doorway, her figure was limned in gold. Her pregnant figure.

  “Son of a bitch.” He had the strong, instinctive need to hit something—someone in particular. He rubbed his hand over his mouth hard, looking away for a few seconds as his heart broke. “Damn it, Em. Come here.” Opening his arms, he folded her in for a gentle hug.

  Emma held onto him and cried. “I’m sorry, Benny.”

  He kissed her hair. “Hush. Nothing to be sorry about. I’m assuming it’s the jerk’s?” He stepped back so that he could see her face.

  “Yeah.”

  “I never did like him.”

  She laughed. “I know. I feel so stupid. I never expected this to happen. I should have been more careful.”

  Ben wiped her wet cheeks with his thumbs. “No details, please. I really might have to fly down to Georgia and kill him if I think about that. Does he know?”

  “He does. He just doesn’t care. And given the way things have turned out, I’m glad he doesn’t.”

  Keeping his arm around her shoulders, he guided her up onto the porch and inside. “How long are you home for?”

  “For good.”

  He smiled down at her, though at five-foot-ten, she was nearly as tall as he was. “No kidding?”

  Emma gave him a tremulous smile back. “No kidding.”

  “Huh. Think Perry County can stand having all us Campbells here at once?”

  She squeezed him with a suddenness that made him squeak. “I’ve missed you.”

  Amelia peeked around the corner of the dining room. “Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to come eat? I held dinner.”

  Ben scowled and tousled her hair. “I told you to not do that, Pip.”

  “Well, I didn’t do it just for you. Mom isn’t back from John and Zanny’s yet. The pasta’s on the verge of turning to mush.”

  “So she doesn’t know yet?” Ben asked Emma.

  “No.” Her trepidation was plain to see.

  He tightened his arm around her shoulders in a supportive squeeze. “It’ll be okay. How’d Dad take it?”

  “Okay. He’s at the barn. Needed a few minutes. I understand it’s been a rough couple of weeks.”

  “You could say that,” Ben agreed as they sa
t down at the table. “Yeah, you could definitely say that.”

  Chapter Six

  By late April, grass-cutting season had started in earnest, and Ben was working ten- and twelve-hour days. When a late-afternoon shower rained the crew out one Wednesday, he was grateful for the reprieve. After an extra-long shower, he pulled on some old comfortable jeans, then ambled into the living room. His apartment faced out over the parking lot and the river beyond, and he opened the window to let in some fresh air. The rain was still falling, though it had slacked off a bit, and the building’s overhang kept Ben mostly dry. When a sheriff’s department cruiser parked next to his truck and his cousin Rick got out, Ben whistled down at him.

  “What are you doing, Trouble?”

  “Coming to see if you’re busy tonight.”

  Ben pretended to primp. “Well, I was gonna wash my hair.”

  Rick shot him a rude gesture, and Ben laughed.

  “Thought we might tag-team John, get him out of the house,” his cousin called up. “He gets off work in about an hour. Interested?”

  “Absolutely. Let me grab a shirt. You coming up or want me to come down?”

  “How long you gonna take to get a shirt on?”

  “Two minutes.”

  “I’ll wait.”

  He actually took closer to five minutes, but he didn’t figure Rick minded, given the way he was flirting with one of Ben’s neighbors on the back stoop.

  “Hey, Mary.”

  “Ben. You and your cousin should come by the bar tonight. Have one on me.” Mary was a waitress at the Bent Wheel bar up the street, and she’d been eyeing Ben since he moved in.

  “We might do that,” he told her. He was feeling a little raw, and the idea of spending some simple time with a pretty face and a curvy body was appealing. Rick smacked his arm lightly.